1992 Confederation 125 Loonie
The 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie is a circulating loonie with 23 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 1992
- Circulation mintage
- 23,010,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Designer
- Rita Swanson
Original illustration of the coin's shape and metal. Tap to flip. Not a picture of the actual design.
Face value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie worth?
23 million were made, so the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie is easy to find. A circulated one is worth face value; collectors pay a little more only for uncirculated coins.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition
- Specimen or proof finish from a Mint set
- Colored versions sold in collector packs
- A genuine mint error
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie rare?
- No. 23 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie coins were made?
- 23,010,000 were struck for circulation.
- Who designed the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie?
- The design is credited to Rita Swanson.
- What is the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie made of?
- Nickel plated with aureate bronze. It weighs 7.0 g and measures 26.5 mm, with an 11-sided shape.
- Is the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie still legal tender?
- Yes. Every loonie, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Canada.
Why the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie was made
Canada marked 125 years since Confederation in 1992. The country came together on July 1, 1867, when Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were united under the British North America Act. For the anniversary the Royal Canadian Mint did something new with the loonie: it put a special design into everyday change. The coin itself was only five years old at that point, so this was the first commemorative loonie of all.
It was part of a busy year for Canadian coins. The Mint also ran a set of quarters honoring each province and territory, so pockets in 1992 were full of new designs. The ordinary loon dollar kept being made too and those coins carry the double date 1867 to 1992. That means two different loonies from the anniversary year can turn up in change. If you have a 1992 loonie, the reverse settles it at a glance: you either see the loon on the water or you see the children of this design. Both versions are easy to find today, which makes the pair a simple and satisfying start for anyone new to Canadian coins.
How to recognize it
Rita Swanson's reverse shows a group of children in front of the Parliament Building in Ottawa, a cheerful scene that suits a birthday rather than a solemn occasion. The building gives the design its sense of place, while the children carry the idea of a young country looking ahead. On the other side is Queen Elizabeth II in the portrait by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, which Canadian coins used from 1990 to 2003. The coin keeps the familiar eleven-sided shape and golden color of every loonie. To confirm you have the commemorative and not the regular 1992 coin, look for the children and the building. There is no bird anywhere on this reverse, so the picture alone tells the two apart.
1992 Confederation 125 Loonie by the numbers
In mintage terms the 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie is the most common of 19 circulating loonies with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 1994 Remembrance Loonie (15 million).
It was the only circulating commemorative loonie dated 1992.
What to check on your 1992 Confederation 125 Loonie
- Confirm the design and date: the Confederation 125 reverse dated 1992. The 11-sided shape and gold color make a loonie easy to tell from other coins.
- Check whether it has added color. Colored versions come from collector packs, not from change. Keep them in their packaging.
- Look for even plating. Worn spots that show a different metal underneath are normal wear, not an error.
- Specimen and proof loonies from Mint sets have mirror or satin finishes that circulation coins never have.
With 23,010,000 struck for circulation, this is one of the highest mintages of any commemorative loonie, far above later designs that often stopped at three to five million. Circulated examples are face value coins. Interest comes down to condition: a coin with crisp detail on the children and the building, no scratches and full original luster can earn a small premium from people assembling a complete loonie run. Coins with dull surfaces, rim knocks or worn faces are ordinary change. Tilt yours under a light and check the high points first, since that is where wear shows.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 1992 |
| Circulation mintage | 23,010,000 |
| Composition | Nickel plated with aureate bronze |
| Weight | 7.0 g |
| Diameter | 26.5 mm |
| Shape | 11-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Rita Swanson |
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1992 Confederation loonie rare?
No. More than 23 million went into circulation, which makes it one of the most plentiful commemorative loonies. A worn one is a face value coin, although a bright uncirculated example is a nice piece for a set and can carry a small premium.
Who designed the 1992 loonie with the children?
Rita Swanson designed it for the 125th anniversary of Confederation. Her scene of children before the Parliament Building was the first commemorative design ever used on the loonie, five years after the coin replaced the dollar bill.
Mintage figures: Loonie (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.