Daphne Odjig, the groundbreaking Anishinaabe artist whose bold vision reshaped the place of Indigenous art in Canada and abroad, is now being honoured on a new $2 circulation coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Born in 1919 in Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island, Odjig overcame the cultural suppression of her youth to become one of Canada’s most celebrated artists. Her work, characterized by sweeping lines, vivid colours, and layered storytelling, drew from her Odawa and Potawatomi heritage and became a vital force in the recognition of Indigenous art in galleries across Canada and beyond.
The Mint has produced a total of three million coins for circulation, with two million colourized and one million in the traditional uncoloured finish. Canadians will begin finding them in their change as banks and businesses replenish their inventories of $2 coins.
The reverse of the $2 commemorative circulation coin features Daphne Odjig’s 1977 painting “The Folk Singer,” with a female figure holding a drum, surrounded by her stylized drawing of a fisher from the 1978 masterpiece “The Indian in Transition.”
The reverse of the coin adapts Odjig’s 1977 painting The Folk Singer. At its centre, the design shows a female figure holding a drum, cropped to highlight her flowing lines and stylized form. Surrounding the inner core is a rim that features Odjig’s stylized drawing of a fisher, taken from her monumental 1978 masterpiece The Indian in Transition. The fisher was more than a visual motif — it was a signature emblem Odjig often included with her name, a nod to the English translation of “Odjig.”
The colourized version places vivid red, yellow, and blue accents on the figure, while the uncoloured coin relies on the engraving alone to capture Odjig’s distinctive style. The obverse features the effigy of King Charles III, designed by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.
“Daphne Odjig was a gifted storyteller, a bold path breaker, and a born teacher,” said Anishinaabe artist and educator Bonnie Devine. “For more than fifty years she enriched our lives with her drawings and paintings. She would have been tickled to know that her life’s work was being honoured on a Canadian toonie.”
Odjig’s artistic journey began in Toronto in the 1940s, where she studied galleries and libraries for inspiration while raising her family. She later lived in British Columbia and Manitoba, developing her art and reconnecting with her cultural roots at the 1964 Wiikwemkoong Pow Wow. Her career spanned both minimalist sketches and large-scale, richly coloured canvases, many of which expressed the history and resilience of First Nations communities.
In 1973, Odjig co-founded the Professional Native Indian Artists Inc., often called the “Indian Group of Seven,” alongside Alex Janvier, Norval Morrisseau, Jackson Beardy, Carl Ray, Eddy Cobiness, and Joseph Sanchez. Together, they not only created powerful works of art but also campaigned for recognition, fair funding, and the rightful inclusion of Indigenous art in mainstream institutions.
For collectors, the Mint is offering several special versions of the coin, including a two-piece keepsake card containing both the coloured and uncoloured circulation coins, as well as special wrap rolls of 25 coins in each finish. A $20 fine silver coin, also released alongside the circulation version, presents a detailed rendering of The Folk Singer, with the central figure framed by a bird motif.
Royal Canadian Mint President and CEO Marie Lemay said the tribute reflects the Mint’s ongoing commitment to honouring Indigenous cultural leaders: “We are honoured to issue a circulation coin that shares the story of Daphne Odjig, whose art and advocacy transformed appreciation for Indigenous art in Canada and the world.”