Voyageur dollar

Discontinued Canadian coin (1935–1986)
King George V (MacKennal effigy; 1935 36)
George VI (Paget effigy; 1937 52)
Elizabeth II (Gillick effigy; 1953 63)
Elizabeth II (Machin effigy; 1965 87)

| Obverse Designer =
Bertram Mackennal
Humphrey Paget
Mary Gillick
Arnold Machin
| Obverse Design Date =
| Reverse =
| Reverse Design = Voyageur and an aboriginal travelling by canoe James Bonar, Deputy Master of the Royal Mint, had ordered the master dies for this new dollar on November 10, 1910. Production of the dies was delayed, and they were not delivered to the Mint until nearly a year later. By the time the dies arrived, Sir Robert Borden had won his Canadian election, and cancelled the production of the silver dollar. While no official reason was given from the Borden government about the cancellation, a letter from Bonar attributes the coin's removal to the absence of a reference to God (Dei gratia rex), which created controversy among Canadians at the time. Three trial strikes of silver dollars were produced in 1911 by the Royal Mint in London: two struck in silver, and one in lead. One of the silver coins, owned by the Royal Mint Museum, has been loaned to the Bank of Canada since 1976, while the lead coin was discovered during a move in 1977. The two were put into the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada, and have been on display in the Bank of Canada Museum since 1980.

In 1935, a commemorative silver dollar was struck for King George V's Silver Jubilee. It showed the King on the obverse (front) and, a canoe containing a voyageur, (French Canadian fur trader) and an Indigenous man, on the reverse (back). The canoe also contains two bundles of furs—on one, the initials HB, for Hudson's Bay Company may be seen. The reverse was designed by Emanuel Hahn. This coin marked the beginning of silver Canadian dollars in circulation, which continued until 1968, when the coin's composition shifted from silver to nickel.

The issue was generally considered a success, and beginning in 1936, the silver dollar (in .800 fine silver) was struck more or less annually as a regular issue for general circulation, with the same reverse design as in 1935. Although commemorative dollars were struck for circulation for the visit of King George VI in 1939, no regular issue dollars were struck that year, as well as until the end of World War II in 1945. Thereafter, voyageur dollars were struck each year through 1966, except in years when a commemorative dollar was struck for circulation (e. g. 1939, 1949, 1958 1964). In 1967, a special "flying goose" design was struck for the Canadian Centennial.

Beginning in 1968, following the 1967 Canadian Centennial series, the voyageur dollar design resumed. It was now struck in pure nickel, following the decision to debase Canada's coinage from silver to nickel. The change to this harder metal lead to the diameter of the coin being reduced from 36 mm to 32 mm, as it made minting considerably easier. To encourage circulation, the size was reduced, the colour was changed, and the one dollar note was eliminated from circulation. Originally, the plans called for the voyageur design to be continued on the new gold coloured dollar coin. This set of dies depicting the design was lost in transit. To eliminate the risk of counterfeiting, an alternate design submitted by Robert Ralph Carmichael in a 1978 coin design contest, featuring a loon, was used. This became known as the loonie.

In 2003, in special proof sets honouring the fiftieth anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the voyageur design was struck again in sterling silver in a limited edition of 30,000. In 2017, the RCM issued special edition one dollar coins in silver and gold with platinum plating to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the loonie, with one of the coins utilizing its design, intended as a new version for the current dollar coin, but bearing the dual dates "1987–2017". In 2018, the RCM issued and 1 kg special edition one dollar fine silver voyageur coins with gold plating. The latter is 102 mm in diameter and limited to 350 coins. + Commemorative editions of the Voyageur dollarImageYearThemeArtistMintageSpecial notes1939The Royal VisitEmanuel Hahn1,363,816Designed to commemorate King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ottawa. Inscribed are the Latin words Fide suorum regnat, meaning "He reigns by the faith of his people".1949Newfoundland joins ConfederationErnest Maunder672,218The design features the Matthew, sailed by John Cabot when he first arrived in Newfoundland in 1497. Below the ship are the Latin words Floreat Terra Nova, meaning "May the New Found Land flourish".1958100th anniversary of British ColumbiaStephen Trenka3,039,630Designed to commemorate 100 years since both the Cariboo Gold Rush and the creation of British Columbia as a British Crown colony. The design features a totem pole in the foreground, with the Rocky Mountains in the background.1964100th anniversary of the Charlottetown and Quebec ConferencesThomas Shingles7,296,832The design features the French fleur de lis, the Irish shamrock, the Scottish thistle, and the English rose.1967Canada's CentennialAlex Colville6,767,496The design features a Canada goose in flight.1970100th anniversary of the accession of ManitobaRaymond Taylor4,140,058The design features a prairie crocus, the provincial flower of Manitoba.1971100th anniversary of the accession of British ColumbiaThomas Shingles4,260,781The design features British Columbia's coat of arms, as well as its provincial flower, the dogwood.1973100th anniversary of the accession of Prince Edward IslandWalter Ott3,196,452The design features Province House.1974100th anniversary of WinnipegPatrick Brindley2,799,363The design features the number 100, surrounded on top and bottom by lettering "Winnipg" and "1874–1974 Canada dollar" respectively. Inside the two zeroes are illustrations of Winnipeg's Main Street in 1874 (left) and 1974 (right) 1982Constitution Acts of 1867 and 1982Ago Aarand9,709,402The design features a recreation of a painting of the Fathers of Confederation.1984450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier arriving on the Gaspé Peninsula. Hector Greville7,009,323The design features explorer Jacque Cartier in front of a cross with the French coat of arms.