Most toonies in your change are genuine and worth two dollars. A fake usually gives itself away in one of six checks: weight, size, the magnet test on ring and core, the join between ring and core, the sharpness of the design, and the colours of the two metals. Compare a suspect coin with a genuine toonie of the same date, since the coin changed in 2012.
1. Weigh It
A digital scale that reads to 0.01 g is the single best test. Toonies dated 1996 to 2011 weigh 7.30 g; from 2012 the Royal Canadian Mint switched to lighter plated metals and the coin weighs 6.92 g. Allow for a little wear, but a coin that is clearly outside the range for its date is suspect.
2. Measure It
Every toonie is 28 mm across. Calipers or a ruler against a genuine coin will show a fake that is slightly too small or too thick.
3. Try a Magnet
On a genuine toonie the silver-coloured outer ring is attracted to a magnet and the gold-coloured core is not. A coin where the whole piece sticks, or neither part does, was made from the wrong metals.
4. Check the Join Between Ring and Core
The core of a real toonie sits flush and tight in the ring. Gaps, glue, a core that moves or a visible seam that is uneven all the way around point to a counterfeit.
5. Look at the Detail
The polar bear, the ice floe and the portrait on a genuine coin are crisp, even after years in circulation. Counterfeits are often soft, with blurry fur, mushy lettering or a grainy surface in the fields. Use a loupe and compare side by side with a genuine coin.
6. Compare the Colours
The ring is silver-grey and the core is a warm gold colour. Fakes often have a core that is too yellow, too pale or patchy, or a ring with a different tone from genuine coins of the same date.
Wear, Damage and Errors Are Not Fakes
Scratches, dirt and environmental damage do not make a coin counterfeit. Genuine mint errors also exist, such as off-centre strikes or a core struck slightly out of position; see our guide to loonie errors and varieties for how errors look on Canadian dollar coins. If a coin fails the weight and magnet tests, treat it as a counterfeit and hand it to the police rather than spending it.
For other checks that work on any coin, see how to identify counterfeit cast coins, how to tell if a Canadian coin is silver or plated and the old coin identifier guide.
FAQ
Toonies dated 1996 to 2011 weigh 7.30 g; toonies dated 2012 and later weigh 6.92 g. Both are 28 mm across. A coin that is clearly outside these figures is suspect.
The silver-coloured outer ring is attracted to a magnet on genuine toonies, while the gold-coloured core is not. If the whole coin sticks, or nothing does, look closer.
Do not spend it. Counterfeit money should be handed to the police; in Canada you can report it to your local police service.
