Specimen Set – Monarch Butterfly (2025) – Mintage: 30,000

Celebrate the power of pollinators through this conservation story. Order your 2025 Specimen Set today!

In the fall, the monarch butterfly embarks on one of the longest known migrations, pollinating and supporting diverse ecosystems as it travels from its breeding grounds in Canada to its wintering habitats. The 4,000-kilometre-long journey is fraught with danger, but even within Canada, this winged wonder—like many other pollinators—faces a myriad of challenges that threaten its survival, from climate change to habitat loss.

The endangered monarch butterfly and its sole host plant, milkweed, are highlighted on the
2025 Specimen Dollar. Flying on patterned wings that captivate and inspire, this well-known butterfly is the ideal poster species for pollinator decline, and for conservation through habitat restoration—an important step to help ensure monarchs and other pollinators will continue to add grace and colour to our world for years to come.

Irreplaceable: The monarch butterfly has landed on the 2025 Specimen Dollar.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Sixth in the series. This is the sixth specimen set in a series that is helping to raise awareness of wildlife conservation and species recovery efforts in Canada.
• A set exclusive specimen dollar. For 2025, the set’s specimen dollar features the monarch butterfly, a poster species for pollinator decline and collaborative conservation efforts. The specimen dollar is exclusive to this set—it is not available for individual purchase.
• We took great care to ensure the markings on the monarch’s wings were accurately re-created in order to provide a realistic portrait of this well-known and well-loved pollinator.
• A world exclusive. We are the only mint that issues an annual set of coins in a specimen finish (brilliant/frosted relief against a lined background). This Specimen Set continues to be one of the most popular sets produced each year by the Royal Canadian Mint.
• Packaged for easy viewing. All denominations of Canadian circulation coinage, from the
  five-cent to the $2 coin, are represented in this set, even the 50-cent piece. And all six coins are presented side-by-side in elegant book-style packaging (with a removable lens) that will further enhance your enjoyment of this set.
• For nature and wildlife lovers. Inspire a child to collect coins: this affordable set’s educational theme makes it a great gift for animal lovers of all ages, and its educational theme makes it the perfect starter set for a new collector.
• Limited supply. Mintage is limited to 30,000 sets.
• Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.

SPECIMEN DOLLAR DESIGN

The set-exclusive specimen dollar features a reverse design by artist Julius Csotonyi. An expression of hope for the plight of the endangered monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), the design shows the captivating pollinator in flight, while the species’ host plant, milkweed (g. Asclepias), blooms in the background. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

DID YOU KNOW?

In addition to reducing herbicide/insecticide use and planting native flowering plants that nourish pollinators, gardeners and conservationists can help monarch butterflies by planting and preserving native milkweed—the species’ sole host plant and the only food source for monarch larvae/caterpillars.

The milkweed’s bitter sap contains toxins that can be harmful to people and animals if consumed in large quantities, but that toxicity protects monarchs by making them unpalatable to predators.

PACKAGING

Your specimen set comes in elegant book-style packaging, with a removable lens that allows for easy viewing of your coins.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

The Artist: 

I chose to illustrate the monarch in flight partly because their wings display more dynamic flexibility than most people realize, the wingtips bending in part to improve the aerodynamics of their flight. Also, a butterfly in flight depicts a degree of hope. – Julius Csotonyi, Artist 

The Engraver: Alex Tirabasso, 3D Artist - Engraver

Given the low relief height (approximately 0.12 mm), I had to employ sculpting techniques consistent with low-relief sculpting, known as basso-relievo, in order to create a realistic, fully formed butterfly out of the smallest amount of relief. Some of the finest details, such as the proboscis and antennae, were right on the edge of manufacturability – if they were any smaller, they may not have survived our multi-staged manufacturing process. The butterfly’s body has these minuscule patches that I had to carefully preserve to ensure they were still present on the master tooling, and I took great artistic satisfaction in sculpting the round bulbous eyes and proboscis—it's those small details that really bring the creature to life! – Alex Tirabasso, 3D Artist - Engraver 

SPECIFICATIONS

1 Dollar – Specimen Finish (2025)

2 Dollars – Specimen Finish (2025)

50 Cents – Specimen Finish (2025)

25 Cents – Specimen Finish (2025)

10 Cents – Specimen Finish (2025)

5 Cents – Specimen Finish (2025)