There’s a new glow-in-the-dark toonie honouring Toronto’s CN Tower

Today marks the 50th birthday of the CN Tower, and Canada is celebrating by dropping a new glow-in-the-dark coin, which could soon end up in your wallet.

Unveiled Tuesday atop the tower’s newly renovated Main Observation Level, the circulation coin comes from the Royal Canadian Mint and features a design by Belleville, Ont. artist Carl Wiens.

The multi-coloured $2 coin captures the CN Tower as the crown jewel of Toronto’s skyline, highlighting its evolution over the past five decades since its completion on April 2, 1975 (it wasn’t until June 26, 1976, that it became open to the public).

On one side, the 1976 skyline stretches across the design, while on the other, a modern 2026 cityscape reflects Toronto’s rapid evolution.

Wiens, who attended the unveiling, shared on Instagram that the project was a year in the making and now he’s proud to finally share it with the nation.

Arguably, the coolest thing about this coin is how it glows in the dark. It’s only the second time the Mint has released a circulation coin of this kind.

“I loved working with glow-in-the-dark ink in the design, because the tower shines like a beacon at night, brightly lit in different hues and colours,” he tells the Royal Canadian Mint.

Because this is a circulation coin and not a limited-edition collector’s piece, you might soon find one in your pocket after getting change at a coffee shop or grocery store.

That said, given its unique design, you may want to hang onto it for safekeeping.

Originally published on blogTO.

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Natalia Buia, blogTO

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