Plain and colorized versions of a ringed bimetallic $2 coin is being issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in honor of artist Daphne Odjig.

The outer ring of the ringed-bimetallic $2 coin is multi-ply nickel-plated steel, and the inner core is multi-ply brass-plated aluminum bronze.

The edge lettering CANADA and 2 DOLLARS are engraved incuse into the third side of the coin (the edge). The lettering is separated by short sections of serrations, also known as “interrupted serrations.”

Daphne Odjig was a Canadian First Nations artist of Odawa-Potawatomi-English heritage. Odjig’s paintings are often characterized as Woodlands Style or as the pictographic style.

Born Sept. 11, 1919, in Wikwemikong, Ontario, Canada, Odjig died Oct. 1, 2016, age 97, in  Kelowna, Ontario.

Odjig, according to the RCM’s narrative, was one of the most influential indigenous artists active in Canada during the second half of the 20th century.

“In addition to her groundbreaking original work, she is widely considered a leader of efforts to transform the perception of indigenous art and giving it a rightful place in major galleries in Canada and the world,” according to the RCM.

“The circulation coin honoring her life and legacy captures glimpses of both The Folk Singer, and her monumental The Indian in Transition, two works that are part of the Canadian Museum of History’s collection in Ottawa.”

The coin entered general circulation in Canada on Sept. 4.

Artistic legacy

“The Royal Canadian Mint is pleased to celebrate great Indigenous artists, whose stunning and moving works tell important cultural stories that form part of our shared history” said Marie Lemay, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint during the unveiling ceremonies. “Today, we are honored to issue a circulation coin that shares the story of Daphne Odjig, whose art and advocacy transformed appreciation for indigenous art in Canada and the world.”

For the reverse of the 2025 circulating commemorative, the RCM adapted Odjig’s 1977 work, The Folk Singer. The colorized version of the coin features a cropped view, at its center, of a female figure holding a drum, while the outer ring bears an engraved reproduction of the artist’s stylized drawing of a fisher (the English translation of “Odjig” is “Fisher”). This image appears above Odjig’s signature on her 1978 masterpiece, The Indian in Transition.

The $2 coin’s obverse carries the effigy facing left of King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

“How fortunate we are to have had such an artist in our midst!” says Anishinaabe visual artist, writer, and educator Bonnie Devine. “Daphne Odjig was a gifted storyteller, a bold path breaker, and a born teacher. For more than [50] years she enriched our lives with her drawings and paintings. She would have been tickled to know that her life’s work was being honored on a Canadian ‘toonie.’ ”

Odjig’s birthplace, Wikwemkong, is in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, Manitoulin Island, Ontario.

Though traditional cultural practices were illegal in Canada during much of her youth, she grew up in a community with a strong sense of First Nations art and culture.

Odjig was especially influenced by her grandfather Jonas Odjig, who was himself a carver, as well as a great source of traditional stories and cultural knowledge.

After moving to Toronto in the early 1940s, Odjig began exploring the city’s galleries and libraries, finding inspiration. She developed her art while working and raising a family in British Columbia and Manitoba and experienced a cultural awakening at the 1964 Wiikwemkoong Pow Wow.

Odjig became renowned for minimalist fine-line sketches and massive, richly colored paintings representing traditional knowledge and the historical experiences of First Nations people.

Odjig’s works and those of her contemporaries helped transform perceptions of indigenous art, advocating for their place in the world of fine art.

Odjig was also one of the founding members of Professional Native Indian Artists Inc. Fellow indigenous art titans Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Jackson Beardy, Carl Ray, Eddy Cobiness, and Joseph Sanchez lobbied with Odjig for inclusion, recognition, and equal access to art funding. Their creative work and activism collectively and at once reflected and contributed to the revitalization of indigenous culture that marked the second half of the 20th century.

To learn more about the story on Daphne Odjig’s life and legacy, visit the RCM’s website link online at www.mint.ca/odjig.

Coin availability

Limited to a mintage of three million coins, of which two million will be colorized, the new $2 circulation coin will reach Canadians through their change in bank transactions and as businesses replenish their inventories of $2 coins.

The colorized and plain versions of the circulation coin can also be collected in a two-piece set.

A Collector Keepsake Card is packaged in a richly illustrated folder. Special Wrap rolls of 25 $2 circulation coins each, in colorized or uncolorized versions, are also available.

A colorized fine silver collector coin is also being issued in conjunction with the circulation coin.

The 2025 Folk Singer .999 fine silver $20 coin employs an image by Daphne Odjig, a view of Odjig’s female figure holding a drum, framed by a bird motif.

These collectibles can be ordered by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the U.S., or online at www.mint.ca.

They are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint’s Winnipeg boutique, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

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