2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie
The 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie is a circulating loonie. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2022
- Circulation mintage
- Not published
- Value band
- Face value
- Designer
- Valentine De Landro
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 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie worth?
the 2022 Oscar Peterson 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 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie rare?
- No. It was made in large numbers, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie coins were made?
- The Royal Canadian Mint has not published a circulation figure in our source.
- Who designed the 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie?
- The design is credited to Valentine De Landro.
- What is the 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie made of?
- Multi-ply plated steel. It weighs 6.27 g and measures 26.5 mm, with an 11-sided shape.
- Is the 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie still legal tender?
- Yes. Every loonie, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Canada.
Why the 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie was made
Oscar Peterson was born in Montreal in 1925 and became one of the most celebrated jazz pianists in the world, famous for his speed, swing and technical brilliance. He recorded and toured for decades and played with many of the greatest names in jazz. Among his own compositions is Hymn to Freedom, written in the early 1960s and embraced as an anthem of the civil rights movement. He grew up in Little Burgundy, a Montreal neighborhood with a strong Black community and a lively music scene. He died in 2007 at the age of 82.
In 2022 the Royal Canadian Mint issued a loonie celebrating Peterson and released it into circulation. No circulation mintage figure was published, which makes it difficult to compare with earlier loonies by number. It came out in the same year as the Alexander Graham Bell loonie, so two commemorative designs were in change at once. For music lovers it is a rare chance to hold a coin about jazz and it fits a recent trend of loonies honoring individual Canadians whose work reached well beyond the country.
How to recognize it
Valentine De Landro's design shows Peterson seated at a piano, playing Hymn to Freedom. Musical notes and chord symbols from that piece appear around him, so the design carries actual fragments of the music. On colored coins the background is purple, a nod to his favorite color. To confirm the issue, look for the pianist at the keyboard and the notation around him, plus the date 2022. Queen Elizabeth II, in Susanna Blunt's portrait, is on the other side. The fine notes are worth a look with a magnifier. The piano keys and his hands are the high points, so check them for wear.
2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie by the numbers
The Royal Canadian Mint has not published a circulation figure for the 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie in our source, so it cannot be ranked against other loonies yet.
It was released in 2022 alongside 1 other circulating loonie design.
What to check on your 2022 Oscar Peterson Loonie
- Confirm the design and date: the Oscar Peterson reverse dated 2022. 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.
Because no circulation mintage was published, there is no official figure to measure this coin against. Worn examples found in change are face value. The design exists in a plain version and a colored version with the purple background, so check which you have. Purple that is complete and unscratched is the version to keep, since color rubs off with handling. Uncirculated coins with crisp notes can carry a small premium. Packaged pieces in a card or holder were sold to collectors and are best left sealed.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 2022 |
| Circulation mintage | Not published |
| Composition | Multi-ply plated steel |
| Weight | 6.27 g |
| Diameter | 26.5 mm |
| Shape | 11-sided |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | Valentine De Landro |
Other 2022 loonies
| Coin | Circulation mintage | Value band |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 Alexander Graham Bell Loonie | – | Face value |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Oscar Peterson loonie purple?
Colored versions have a purple background as a nod to Peterson's favorite color. The plain version shows the same design without color. Both picture him at the piano playing Hymn to Freedom.
What song is on the Oscar Peterson loonie?
Notes and chord symbols from Hymn to Freedom appear around Peterson at the piano. He wrote the piece in the early 1960s and it became an anthem of the civil rights movement.
Mintage figures: Loonie (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.