The design of the Ontario Numismatic Association’s (ONA) 55th Annual Convention medal was recently chosen by the convention committee.
Submitted by ONA member Judy Blackman, the design features the Berlin and Waterloo Street Railway car #10, which was received from the Ottawa Car Company on March 23, 1906. This double-trucked and double-ended 11.7-metre railway car was made of wood and seated 40 people. It cost $6,400 to build and entered service on April 17.
“Having grown up in K-W, I fondly remember trying to get on and off the electric trolleys running up King Street on tracks,” writes Blackman in the November/December 2016 issue of the Ontario Numismatist. “So it feels like we are turning back the clock, and once again we have tracks running up our busy streets.”
The medal also features the traditional obverse design (shown).
The medal’s reverse is based on a photograph showing the railway car at the corner of what was then Foundry Street (later renamed Ontario Street) and King Street in Berlin (present-day Kitchener). The obverse will feature the traditional ONA Convention design.
The medals will be struck by the Mississauga Mint. The silver and brass medals—priced at $60 and $20, respectively—will have a mintage of 40 pieces while the copper medal, also priced at $20, will have a mintage of 100 pieces.
The show’s bourse and exhibit floor will be open on April 22 and 23 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., respectively. Daily admission is $3, although children aged 17 and under are free. A three-day “early bird” floor pass is also available for $15.
The main registration kit, which is available for $25, includes an early bird floor pass; a copper convention medal; access to the welcome reception and hospitality suite; and a souvenir program of activities. For another $10, a spousal registration kit can be added and includes all the benefits of the main registration kit except the copper medal. A young numismatist registration kit is also available for $5.
The deadline for registration is April 9. To view the online registration form, visit the-ona.ca/2017/2017RegistrationForm.pdf.
For more information, visit the-ona.ca/2017/2017_ONAMedal.pdf.