There’s a new Canadian coin, and it looks like a loonie but with a different animal.
Also, it costs way more than just $1!
The Royal Canadian Mint recently dropped the 2026 Specimen Set — Barn Owl coin.
It’s the seventh specimen set put out by the Mint meant to raise awareness about wildlife conservation and species recovery efforts in Canada.
Each year, the Specimen Dollar of this set features a different animal.
The new coin in this Specimen Set features a barn owl on an oak branch with leaves and acorns, looking at its surroundings from the elevated vantage point.
Canadian artist Pierre Girard designed the reverse side of the 2026 Specimen Dollar.
It has a “specimen finish,” which means the engraving of the owl is frosted and against a lined background. The Royal Canadian Mint is the only mint in the world to issue an annual set of coins with that type of finish.
The design of this coin is just like a regular loonie you can find in your change, including the gold colour and CANADA DOLLAR engraving.
Also, the classic $1 coin has a prominent outer edge that features points rather than being completely round. The Barn Owl coin has that as well.
The new Barn Owl $1 coin is exclusive to the 2026 specimen set, so you won’t find it anywhere else.
Barn Owl $1 coin.Royal Canadian Mint
The obverse of the Barn Owl coin features the effigy of King Charles III that was designed by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.
It also features an engraving of CHARLES III and D. G. REX, just like the classic loonie.
Obverse of Barn Owl $1 coin.Royal Canadian Mint
In this set, all six denominations of Canadian circulation coinage are included. That means you get a $2, $1, 50-cent, 25-cent, 10-cent and five-cent coin.
Even though there isn’t even $4 worth of coins in the set, it costs you way more than that.
The new Barn Owl specimen set is available for purchase for $64.95, so it costs about $10 for each coin.
According to the Royal Canadian Mint, the annual Specimen Set is one of the most popular coin sets. There is a limited mintage of 30,000 sets for 2026.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
