The new coin arrived in in my mailbox. And like the others, it arrived in a velvet clamshell box, along with a Certificate of Authenticity (in English and in French) from the Royal Canadian Mint.
It’s the brand new 2026 Royal |Canadian Mint Holiday Coin, a lenticular series that is currently heading into its 20th production year.
And for the fourth consecutive year, they’ve brought back the “whimsical friends” for a sweet winter scene.
And rather than describe the action myself – and the cute interaction between the beaver, the polar bear, the caribou and the loon – I will let the Royal Canadian Mint explain everything on this little treasure.
“The coin’s reverse features a shifting lenticular image of a whimsical winter scene designed by artist Steve Hepburn. The colourful trees form a fantastical backdrop to the playful antics of four animal friends inspired by Canada’s circulation coins. The loon looks on as the beaver and polar bear skate across the frozen pond, and the caribou wobbles on skis. When the coin is tilted, the friends are still making the most of this winter day, undaunted by the snow and cold as evening sets in; the caribou and loon, who have each taken a tumble, smile at the sight of the beaver sliding on its tail while being pulled by the polar bear, who calmly skates along. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.”
And if you’re looking to create your own holiday themed coin collection … here’s the personal checklist, updated for 2026. Each coin is stamped in cupronickel finish, is 35 millimeters in diameter, and comes with a custom coin box (with the exception of the 2021 Holiday Train coin, which comes with a cardboard stand).
| Year | Image | Item |
|---|---|---|
 | Queen Elizabeth II on obverse | |
| 2007 |  | Christmas Tree Ornaments |
| 2008 |  | Snowman |
| 2009 |  | Toy Train |
| 2010 |  | Santa and the Red-Nosed Reindeer |
| 2011 |  | Gifts from Santa |
| 2012 |  | Santa’s Magical Visit |
| 2013 |  | Snowman |
| 2014 |  | Christmas Tree |
| 2015 |  | Holiday Toy Box |
| 2016 |  | Snow Angels |
| 2018 |  | Snowball Fight |
| 2021 |  | Canadian Pacific Holiday Train |
| 2022 |  | Santa’s Sleigh |
| 2023 |  | Gone Sleddin’ |
| 2024 |  | Trimming the Holiday Tree |
 | King Charles III on obverse | |
| 2025 |  | Whimsical Holiday Tree |
| 2026 | | Whimsical Winter |
You can order the current coin from mint.ca, along with other commemorative coinage. Definitely worth your attention.
Yep. Now I can slowly blend into the Christmas spirit.
All I need to do now is get my cameras ready for a Holiday Train chase, and guess the first day that someone defrosts Mariah Carey. 🙂
Chuck The Writer 
Every one of them worth more than a “Donny Dollar” in every way.
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