You Can Swap Your Spare Change For Black $2 Coins In Montreal This Week

Your pocket change could get a stylish upgrade this week. For a limited time, Montrealers can swap their spare change for black $2 coins.

The Royal Canadian Mint is hosting a coin exchange in Montreal, allowing the public to trade in their everyday cents for special edition toonies. On October 18 and 19, coin collectors and curious locals can get their hands on the Mint's 2023 commemorative circulation coins from Canada Post locations in Brossard and Montreal.

Leading the cache of coins is the $2 tribute to Jean-Paul Riopelle, accompanied by the $2 National Indigenous People's Day coin and the $1 Elsie MacGill coin. But the crowning jewel is undeniably the 2022 $2 coin with its distinctive black outer ring, a heartfelt nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The coin, embellished with this unique mourning armband-style ring, represents seven decades of the queen's "commitment to Canada." Its golden centre features a polar bear by Canadian Brent Townsend on one side and the late queen’s effigy on the other.

"Our special $2 circulation coin offers Canadians a poignant way to remember her," said Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.

With the world mourning the queen's passing last year, and embracing the ascension of King Charles III, this coin emerges as a touching tribute. As banks nationwide refresh their $2 coin reserves, nearly five million of these emblematic coins will join the mix, with prospects of even more based on demand.