The Voyageur Dollar was a coin of Canada struck for circulation from 1935 through 1986, first issued by the Royal Canadian Mint to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V.
The coin's reverse design was sculpted by Emanuel Hahn and portrays a voyageur and a person of Indigenous descent paddling a birch-bark canoe. The faint lines in the background represent the Northern Lights. The canoe also contains two bundles of furs—on one, the initials HB, for Hudson's Bay Company may be seen.
1967 marked the end of the silver dollar as a business strike, or a coin issued for circulation.
After 1967, the dollar coin was made of nickel, except for non-circulating commemorative issues for the collector market continue to contain silver.
The voyageurs were French Canadians who engaged in the transporting of furs by canoe during the fur trade years.
OBVERSE: 1st portrait Elizabeth II with Tiara right, designer's initials.
Lettering: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA M.G.
Translation: Elizabeth II Queen by the grace of God
Engraver: Arnold Machin
REVERSE: Voyageurs in a canoe, carrying bundles of which one bears the initials "HB" for Hudson's Bay Company, are surrounded with the facial value and the inscription.
Engraver: Emanuel Otto Hahn
RIM: Flat
EDGE: Reeded
Designer mark: "M·G·"- Mary Gaskell Gillick OBE (British sculptor and medalist 1881-1965)
Designer mark: "EH" - Emanuel Otto Hahn (1881–1957 German born-Canadian Sculptor and coin designer)
Mintage in 1953 1 074 578
Mintage in 1953 Unknown with shoulder fold, flat rim
Country Canada
Queen Elizabeth II (1952-2022)
Type Standard circulation coin
Years 1953-1963
Value 1 Dollar
Metal Silver (.8000)
Weight 23.3 g
Diameter 36.06 mm
Thickness 2.84 mm
Shape Round
Orientation Medal alignment ↑↑
References KM# 54, Schön# 54