2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie
The 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie is a circulating toonie with 5 million made. Value band: face value. Here is how to recognize it, what makes one worth more and what to check on yours.
- Year
- 2012
- Circulation mintage
- 5,000,000
- Value band
- Face value
- Designer
- Bonnie Ross
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 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie worth?
5 million were made, so the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie 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
- Colored versions from collector packs
- Specimen or proof finish from a Mint set
For market prices, look at recent sold results for the same coin in the same condition, not asking prices.
Quick answers
- Is the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie rare?
- No. 5 million were made, so circulated examples are worth face value.
- How many 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie coins were made?
- 5,000,000 were struck for circulation.
- Who designed the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie?
- The design is credited to Bonnie Ross.
- What is the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie made of?
- Bimetallic multi-ply plated steel. It weighs 6.92 g and measures 28 mm.
- Is the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie still legal tender?
- Yes. Every toonie, commemoratives included, is legal tender in Canada.
Why the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie was made
The Royal Canadian Mint marked the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 with a run of circulating coins. The quarters honored figures such as Isaac Brock, Tecumseh, Charles de Salaberry and Laura Secord, while the toonie went to sea with HMS Shannon. The war set the United States against Britain and its North American colonies and many of the fights that decided it took place on water. One of the most famous was a short, brutal duel off Boston.
On June 1, 1813, the British frigate HMS Shannon under Captain Philip Broke met the American frigate USS Chesapeake just outside Boston harbor. Broke had drilled his gun crews hard and the action was over in minutes, with heavy losses on both sides. The dying American captain, James Lawrence, gave the order 'Don't give up the ship', words that became a motto of the United States Navy, but the Chesapeake was captured anyway. Shannon then brought her prize into Halifax, where crowds turned out to see it. The victory was a huge boost for British and colonial morale at a time when the war at sea had been going badly for them.
How to recognize it
Bonnie Ross shows HMS Shannon under sail, a classic image of a fighting frigate of the age of sail. What makes this toonie different is its layout. The artwork does not stay inside the golden core: it extends into the silver-colored outer ring, which also carries the inscription identifying the coin with the War of 1812 and HMS Shannon. Most toonies keep the picture in the core and the lettering in the ring, so this modified reverse is a strong clue. Check for the sailing ship and the words naming the Shannon. On the obverse is Queen Elizabeth II in Susanna Blunt's portrait.
2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie by the numbers
Measured by how many were made, the 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie ranks 3rd lowest of 13 circulating toonies with a published mintage. The next scarcer is the 2011 Boreal Forest Toonie (5 million); the next more common is the 2014 Wait for Me, Daddy Toonie (5 million).
For scale, the most common is the 2000 Path of Knowledge Toonie with 29.9 million, about 6 times as many. The scarcest is the 2022 Queen Elizabeth II Toonie with 4.31 million.
It was the only circulating commemorative toonie dated 2012.
What to check on your 2012 War of 1812: HMS Shannon Toonie
- Confirm the design: the War of 1812: HMS Shannon reverse dated 2012, in a silver-colored ring with a gold-colored center.
- Check whether it has added color. Colored toonies came from collector products or special circulation releases; keep them out of rough handling.
- Look at the join between ring and core. It should be tight and even; a loose or damaged core is damage, not a rarity.
- Specimen and proof toonies from Mint sets have satin or mirror finishes that circulation coins never have.
The circulation mintage was 5,000,000, in line with the other commemorative toonies of the 2010s. Circulated coins are face value. Fine rigging lines and sails are where wear shows first, so look at the masts under a light. A coin with crisp sails, full luster and a clean ring is the kind that earns a small premium from collectors. The unusual ring artwork is worth checking too, because the lettering and art on the ring take knocks from other coins and can blur long before the ship does. Keep any sharp example out of loose change if you want it to stay that way.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 2 dollars |
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
| Year | 2012 |
| Circulation mintage | 5,000,000 |
| Composition | Bimetallic multi-ply plated steel |
| Weight | 6.92 g |
| Diameter | 28 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Intermittent milling |
| Designer | Bonnie Ross |
Frequently asked questions
What was HMS Shannon?
A British frigate that captured the American frigate USS Chesapeake off Boston on June 1, 1813, then brought it into Halifax. The toonie honors that victory as part of the Mint's War of 1812 bicentennial coins.
Is the HMS Shannon toonie part of a series?
Yes. It belongs to the Mint's War of 1812 bicentennial program, which also included quarters for Isaac Brock, Tecumseh, Charles de Salaberry and Laura Secord. The Shannon was the only toonie in the group, with 5,000,000 struck.
Mintage figures: Toonie (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from Royal Canadian Mint figures. How we build these pages.