2023 – 1 Dollar Loonie Canada – Elsie MacGill Colored

The 2023 Canadian $1 coin honoring Elsie MacGill is a colorized commemorative circulation coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. It features a detailed reverse design by artist Claire Watson showcasing Elsie MacGill, an aeronautical engineer famously known as the “Queen of the Hurricanes,” holding rolled-up blueprints. The background includes images of the Maple Leaf Trainer II, the first aircraft designed and produced by a woman, and a Hawker Hurricane fighter plane, which MacGill helped produce during World War II. The coin’s reverse is selectively color-enhanced to highlight these key elements, while the obverse displays the transitional effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt with a special marking symbolizing her reign. This 6.27-gram coin is made of three-ply brass-plated steel, available in brilliant uncirculated condition, and began circulating in August 2023 with a mintage of two million colorized coins designed for general use but also prized by collectors.