Canada, 1989 AD., Elizabeth II, MacKenzie River commemorative, Royal Canadian Mints at Ottawa, 1 Dollar, KM 168.

Canada, Elizabeth II, MacKenzie River commemorative, Royal Canadian Mints at Ottawa, engravers: Arnold Machin (obverse) and John Mardon (reverse), 1989 AD.,
1 Dollar (ø 36 mm / 23,12 g), 0.500 silver, 23.33 g. theor. mint weight, mintage 354.414 , axes medal alignment ↑↑ (0°), reeded edge,
Obv.: ELIZABETH II - D·G·REGINA , her young draped bust facing right, wearing tiara.
Rev.: CANADA 1989 / FLEUVE MACKENZIE RIVER / DOLLAR , people in a canoe, issuer and date above, denomination below.
KM 168 .

Year / Mint Mark / Mintage
1989 254,959 (proof issue)
1989 99,455 (normal strike)

The Mackenzie River (Slavey language: Deh-Cho, big river or Inuvialuktun: Kuukpak, great river) is the largest and longest river system in Canada, and is exceeded only by the Mississippi River system in North America. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories. The river's mainstem runs 1,738 kilometres (1,080 mi) in a northerly direction to the Arctic Ocean, draining a vast area nearly the size of Indonesia. It is the largest river flowing into the Arctic from North America, and with its tributaries is one of the longest rivers in the world.

Sir Alexander Mackenzie (or MacKenzie, Scottish Gaelic: Alasdair MacCoinnich, 1764 – 12 March 1820) was a Scottish explorer. He is known for his overland crossing of what is now Canada to reach the Pacific Ocean in 1793. This was the first east to west crossing of North America north of Mexico and predated the Lewis and Clark expedition by 10 years.
On behalf of the North West Company Mackenzie travelled to Lake Athabasca where, in 1788, he was one of the founders of Fort Chipewyan. He had been sent to replace Peter Pond, a partner in the North West Company. From Pond, he learned that the First Nations people understood that the local rivers flowed to the northwest. Acting on this information, he set out by canoe on the river known to the local Dene First Nations people as the Dehcho, (Mackenzie River) on 10 July 1789 following it to its mouth in the hope of finding the Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. As he ended up reaching the Arctic Ocean on 14 July, it is conjectured that he named the river "Disappointment River" as it did not lead to Cook Inlet in Alaska as he had expected. The river was later renamed the Mackenzie River in his honour.