Commems Collection Canadian: 2026 Royal Legion Centennial

Canada's first 36 mm, non-circulating legal tender ("NCLT") commemorative silver dollar ("SD") of 2026 was issued in January 2026 to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Legion; it is the Mint's Standard Issue Annual SD for 2026. (The coin is also available with selective gold plating within the Mint's 2026 Fine Silver Proof Set.)

Royal Canadian Legion Centennial Logo

(Image Source: Royal Canadian Legion Web Site.)

The SD has a maximum mintage of 35,000 (the final mintage/sales total is TBD). It was struck as a Proof with multiple frostings/finishes to highlight the two figures on the commemorative reverse as well as the center of each poppy included in the coin's reverse design. The SD was struck on the current standard SD planchet: 36.07 mm in diameter with a weight of 23.17 grams and a composition of 0.9999 pure silver. The SD also incorporates a laser-etched cross-hatched pattern on its reverse field for added design depth.

Royal Canadian Legion Centennial Silver Dollar


The Royal Canadian Legion was founded in November 1925 and incorporated via Act of Parliament in July 1926 to serve/support/advocate for Canada's Veterans, including Canada's military personnel and Royal Canadian Mounted Police ("RCMP") and their families. The various Legion branches support their local communities, as well as all of Canada at the national level. There are over 1,300 Legion branches in Canada and around the world.

Note: The Legion is celebrating its incorporation Centennial in 2026.

The Legion is well known for its promotion of Canada's annual Remembrance activities, which honour those who served Canada (or died while serving) in times of war and peace.

The Poppy flower has become a signature element of the annual event; the poppy flower was made famous by the WWI poem - "In Flanders Fields" - written by Canadian doctor John McCrae. (See 2015 In Flanders Fields Dollar for more about the poem and the events that inspired it.)

Canada's Remembrance Day is held each November 11th, and marks the end of World War I. Many in Canada pause their activities/work for two minutes at 11:00am on Remembrance Day to honour and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving. (The WWI Armistice began on November 11, 1918, at 11:00 am Paris time.)

The obverse design of the coin presents the left-facing, uncrowned portrait of King Charles III by Steven Rosati.

The commemorative reverse design presents two Royal Legion members standing in Remembrance with heads bowed superimposed over a Maple Leaf (a symbol of Canada also found on the Legion's crest). Below the two figures, semi-encircling the central elements, is a ribbon that carries the Centennial Anniversary dates "1926" and "2026." Seen on/around the ribbon are 14 poppies: one for each of Canada's 13 current Provinces and Territories, plus one additional poppy that is symbolic of the Legion's international branches.

The commemorative reverse design for the SD was created by Steve Hepburn.

As of the date of this post, the individual SD was still available for purchase on the Mint's web site for $209.95 (CAD). It is packaged in a standard black clam shell case, inserted into a black outer box - no fancy/graphic 'beauty' box.


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other Canadian numismatics stories, see: Commems Collection