What does the Queen appear on in Canada?

The reigning sovereign of Canada appears on the obverse of every Canadian coin and on the twenty-dollar bank note, signalling that the Crown is the head of state and that money is issued under the authority of the King. Until her death on September 8, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II appeared on Canadian currency for seventy years; her first coinage portrait was issued in 1953 and her last in 2022. King Charles III's effigy, sculpted by Canadian artist Steven Rosati, appeared on circulation coins for the first time on December 4, 2023.

The sovereign's portrait also appears on the obverse of all denominations of Royal Canadian Mint bullion coins, including the iconic Maple Leaf gold and silver coins issued since 1979 and 1988. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police's cap badge incorporates the Royal Cypher, currently CIIIR for King Charles III, as does the badge of every branch of the Canadian Armed Forces. Canadian passports carry the King's coat of arms on the cover.

Postage stamps issued by Canada Post carry the sovereign's image when commemorating royal events such as accessions, coronations, jubilees, and deaths. The Royal Canadian Mint produced commemorative coins for Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee in 2002, her Diamond Jubilee in 2012, the seventieth anniversary of her accession in 2022, and the coronation of King Charles III on May 6, 2023.

Government documents requiring the Royal Sign Manual, including Letters Patent, Royal Proclamations, and certain commissions of office, are signed by the sovereign or by the Governor General on the sovereign's behalf. The Crown's image on currency and on official documents reminds Canadians that the country is a constitutional monarchy in which authority is exercised in the King's name.