THE FOLLOWING ARE THE CANADA OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIE COINS (CIRCULATION DOLLAR COINS): 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010:

STARTED IN 2002 WITH A REGULAR LOONIE; THE COIN WAS PUT BELOW THE ICE SURFACE AT CENTRE ICE FOR LUCK, AND ALSO AS A TARGET FOR THE PUCK DROP - THE CENTRE CIRCLE HAD NO STANDARD RED DOT ... THEY FORGOT IT!! SO IT SERVED A DUAL PURPOSE! LUCK FOR TEAM CANADA AND AS A NECESSARY PART OF THE ICE HOCKEY LAYOUT!

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yes votes are much appreciated !!! re guide's helpfulness. 

P.S. ALL PHOTOS ARE NOT TO BE COPIED, THX...

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NOTE: LOONIES ARE MADE OF NICKEL, PLATED WITH BRONZE, AND ARE A BRONZE COLOUR, - THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE MADE OF GOLD, AS IN SOME PICTURES.  LOONIE: HAS NEVER BEEN REFERRED TO AS A 'GOLDEN' DOLLAR.

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OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIES IN ORDER OF RELEASE

***     (1ST LUCKY LOONIE):      2004 FOR OLYMPICS WITH MINTAGE OF 6,526,000.       sorry no picture, but similar to regular loon with olympic symbol above loon.

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***     (2ND LUCKY LOONIE):      2006 FOR THE TORINO, ITALY OLYMPICS WITH MINTAGE OF 2,145,000. {also referred to as flying loon / loonie, since wings are extended, rather than a regular loonie, where the loon is on the water- with wings retracted at its side}. This is the lowest mintage of any canadian loonie circulation coin.

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THE 2010 OLYMPIC CIRCULATING COIN PROGRAM WILL RELEASE 2 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIES TO BE ISSUED IN 2008 TO MARK THE BEIJING GAMES AND LATE 2009 TO MARK THE 2010 VANCOUVER GAMES.

***     (3RD LUCKY LOONIE) AND THE 1ST OF 2, 2010 OLYMPIC LOONIES IS THE  2008 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIE FOR THE BEIJING OLYMPICS. {also referred to as flying loon / loonie}.  RELEASED JULY 23, 2008 WITH MINTAGE OF 10 MILLION.

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***     (4TH LUCKY LOONIE) AND THE 2ND OF 2, 2010 OLYMPIC LOONIES IS THE  2010 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIE FOR THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS. THIS WILL REPRESENT THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC GAMES. THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME AN OLYMPIC LOONIE DOES NOT HAVE A LOON ON IT, IN ITS PLACE IT HAS THE 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC SYMBOL (a modern  interpretation of the inukshuk - ilanaaq which is the inuktitut word for friend).     RELEASES LATE 2009.

{A (pre)minting of a certain amount of all circulation coins were minted and put into various sets and a cardboard wheel - so if you find one of these, it is not a fantastical find ... likely someone broke open the set to sell; or buy something -and it was found in change. These post-dated "circulation" coins will be no different than coins minted and released for circulation}.

(according to the Mint, mintage is not disclosed for OLYMPIC LOONIES, until year end RCM report is published).

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BACKGROUND GENERAL INFORMATION ON LOONIES:

CANADA'S DOLLAR COINS HISTORICALLY HAD THE NATIVE INDIAN AND VOYAGEUR (TERM FOR THE FUR TRADING COMPANIES AGENT) PADDLING IN A CANOE SINCE CANADA'S 1st DOLLAR COIN IN 1935. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NUMEROUS COMMEMORATIVE DOLLAR COINS.

THIS ORIGINAL CONCEPT WAS TO BE CONTINUED FOR OUR NEW DOLLAR COIN THAT REPLACED ALL $1 BILLS IN 1987. HOWEVER, THE DIES MYSTERIOUSLY 'FELL OUT' OF THE ARMOURED CAR CARRYING THEM, THUS THIS CONCEPT COULD NOT BE USED, AND THUS THE LOON WAS USED. WHAT DO YOU CALL THIS COIN? A LOONIE. PARTIALLY DUE TO THE MISHAP WITH THE DIES (THIS WAS LOONIE - THE DIES DISAPPEARED FROM THE ARMOURED CAR !), AND MAINLY DUE TO THE EASE OF SAYING IT! I MEAN, IT WAS NOT AN ADVERTISING FIRM WHO MADE THE NAME ... WHAT DO YOU THINK OF A CURRENCY/COIN THAT IS LOONIE !!?? CERTAINLY A STRONG NAME AND DESIGN COULD HAVE BEEN MADE; BUT THERE WAS LITTLE TIME TO GET THESE DOLLAR COINS OUT; AND THERE WAS A BIRD THEME ON BILLS AT THE TIME - SO LOON/LOONIE IT IS !

IF THIS GUIDE HAS BEEN OF INTEREST OR HAS HELPED, YES VOTES ARE APPRECIATED.

P.S. ALL PHOTOS ARE NOT TO BE COPIED, THX...

{for mintage figures, see Wikipedia, RCM MINT press releases, etc.}