On 23rd April, a ceremonial event was held in Toronto to launch a new Canadian circulation commemorative $1 coin to observe the 50th anniversary of Canada’s 1969 Act of Parliament which decriminalized homosexual acts between two consenting people of 21 years or older.

The reverse side features two intermingled faces to represent various forms of gender. The two faces may be interpreted as two different persons or as the same person with different identities. Other inscriptions include the texts EQUALITY, EGALITE, 1969 and 2019. The obverse side depicts an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The mintage limit for this coin is 3 million. 15,000 rolls of 25 Uncirculated coins in a special wrapper are available for $54.95 each.

The reverse design was created by an artist named Joe Average from Vancouver who believed in his passion and dedicated his life to art after he was diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1984.

Image Courtesy: Royal Canadian Mint