The Royal Canadian Mint’s latest selection of numismatic coins continues to celebrate Canadian tradition and identity with themes exploring the past 150 years of Canada’s history.
Continuing its $20 Fine silver coin series honouring important Canadian honours, the Mint is commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Order of Military Merit with a coloured rendering of the resplendent blue cross-shaped insignia. The honour is awarded to Canadian military personnel whose dedication exemplifies “service before self.”
Designed by Bruce W. Beatty, C.M., S.O.M., C.D., the insignia of the Order of Military Merit has been proudly struck by the Mint since 2012. The reverse of the newly issued Fine silver coin features blue translucent hues that re-creates the rich colour of the straight-end cross patée, with its four arms narrowing at the centre. Surmounted by a colourful St. Edward’s Crown, a red annulus bears the inscription “MERIT. MÉRITE. CANADA.”, whose yellow colour mimics the gold of the original insignia. At its centre, the red maple leaf helps distinguish the insignia of Commander from that of Officer or Member, which would feature a gold and silver maple leaf (respectively). The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Susanna Blunt.
This coin has a weight of 31.83 grams, a diameter of 40 mm, and a mintage of 5,500 pieces.
$100 FIVE-OUNCE FINE SILVER
Another medallic creation, this designed by artist Rebecca Nayovskaya, appears on the third and final issue in the $100 series of five-ounce Fine silver coins showcasing historical pieces celebrating Canadian Confederation. It features a new female allegory of Canada on its reverse while the obverse bears the double effigy of Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth II, Canada’s monarchs in 1867 and 2017.
This coin has a weight of 934.61 grams, a diameter of 76.25 mm and a mintage of 1,000 pieces.
ICEBERG AT DAWN
Canada 150 shines through on the latest “Celebrating Canada’s 150th” $10 Fine silver coin, which features “Iceberg at Dawn,” a photograph captured by Newfoundland and Labrador’s Dale Wilson. The reverse also features the engraved word “CANADA” and the dates “1867-2017” to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation.
This coin has a weight of 15.87 grams, a diameter of 34 mm and a mintage of 25,000 pieces.
BIG COIN SERIES
The latest offering of the five-ounce Fine silver “Big Coin” series celebrates Alex Colville’s howling wolf design created for Canada’s 1967 50-cent circulation coin. The 2017-dated 50-cent piece features a howling wolf sitting on its hind legs and with its head tilted up to the sky. The image is enhanced by the application of selective gold plating over the wolf and along the coin’s rim. The reverse also features the engraved face value “50 CENTS”, the word “CANADA” and the commemorative dates “1967-2017”.
This coin has a weight of 157.6 grams, a diameter of 65.25 mm and a mintage of 2,150 pieces.
LOCOMOTIVES ACROSS CANADA
A new series of $20 selectively gold-plated Fine silver coins, “Locomotives Across Canada,” adds to the observance of Canada 150 with a first coin depicting the “4-4-0”, the first locomotive built in Canada in the early days of Confederation. The design was illustrated by David A. Oram.
This coin has a weight of 31.39 grams, a diameter of 38 mm and a mintage of 7,500 pieces.
OTHER JUNE CATALOGUE COINS
The Mint’s June catalogue also includes:
- a 2017 Special Wrap Roll Set, “Classic Canadian Coins”;
- a 2017 $1 Fine silver two-coin set, “30th Anniversary of the Loonie,” which features the common loonie and the classic Voyageur;
- a 2017 $20 Fine silver coin, “Mother Nature’s Magnification: Beauty Under the Sun,” featuring a new 3D dome dewdrop enhancing a colourful bee and flower design by artist Alexandra Lefort;
- a 2017 $20 Fine silver coin, “Under the Sea: Sea Star,” featuring a new glass-encased sea star made up of mosaic-like arrangement of coloured glass rods, embellishing a Maurice Gervais design;
- a 2017 $20 Fine silver coin, “Canada’s Coast Series: Pacific Coast,” featuring a golden maple-leaf shaped sunset over mountainous vista overlooking Pacific waters in a design by artist Curtis Atwater;
- a 2017 $300 pure platinum coin, “Maple Leaf Forever,” featuring selective pink gold plating and colour illustrations of Douglas Maple leaves by artist Margaret Best;
- a 2017 $10 Fine silver coin, “Birds Among Nature’s Colours: Purple Martin,” designed by Derek C. Wicks;
- a 2017 $30 Fine silver coin, “Zentangle Art: The Great Grey Wolf,” which combines multiple abstract forms to compose artist Jori Van Der Linde’s original perspective on the famous Canadian predator;
- a 2017 $10 Fine silver coin, “The Beaver,” featuring a coloured engraving designed by Glen Loates;
- a 2017 $20 Fine silver coin, “Ancient Canada: Ogygopsis,” which is a splash-struck coin recreating the look of the genuine trilobite fossil specimen housed at Alberta’s famous Royal Tyrell Museum;
- a new “En Plein Air” 2017 $20 Fine silver coin depicting a canvas-like scene of an East Coast harbour by artist Elizabeth Sim;
- a 2017 $100 Fine silver coin, “Sculpture of Majestic Canadian Animals: Big Horn Sheep,” featuring a 3D gold-plated sculpture by artist Karl Lansing; and
- a double crystal-enhanced 2017 $3 Fine silver coin from the Zodiac Series (for the month of July) designed by Pandora Young.
All coins from the June catalogue are available now. For more information, visit mint.ca.