As the puck is set to drop for another season of hockey, the Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a six-piece series of Fine silver coins celebrating famous Canadian captains of “Original Six” teams.
Framed on a vertically oriented rectangular coin and rendered in vivid colour, the 2019-dated $25 coins were issued this October as part of the Crown corporation’s 10th numismatic catalogue of 2018. The six coins depict the following homegrown hockey stars:
- Yvan Cournoyer, of the Montreal Canadiens;
- Denis Savard, of the Chicago Blackhawks;
- Steve Yzerman, of the Detroit Red Wings;
- Ray Bourque, of the Boston Bruins;
- Mark Messier, of the New York Rangers; and
- Doug Gilmour, of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Mint has also put a new spin on coin manufacturing with the introduction of a 2019-dated $50 Fine silver coin dubbed “The Bumblebee and the Bloom.”
Taking innovation and interaction to a new level, this five-ounce pure silver coin designed by artist Tony Bianco features a raised pink gold-plated wild rose, around which a yellow gold-
plated bee circles the flower as the coin is tilted. This tribute to Alberta’s floral emblem was available as of Oct. 2 – when the October catalogue was unveiled – with a world-wide mintage of only 1,200 pieces.
An ‘extreme-curvature’ $25 Fine silver coin, ‘Lest We Forget,’ marks the 100th anniversary of the signing of the First World War Armistice.
GREAT WAR ARMISTICE
Achieving a thought-provoking impact through innovation is the $25 Fine silver coin, “Lest We Forget.” Issued in commemoration of the 100th anniversary signing of the First World War Armistice, this “extreme-curvature coin” is struck in the shape of an authentic Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1916 Mark I battle helmet. With an antique finish as well as random cracks and dents, the coin exhibits a realistic battle-worn appearance, symbolizing the many trials endured by Canadian soldiers and their allies on their way to victory in the Great War. This message is conveyed in sharp relief on the helmet’s outer brim, which bears the inscriptions “LEST WE FORGET”, “N’OUBLIONS JAMAIS” and a 1918-2018 double date. The inner contours of the coin are engraved with the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, the denomination and the country of origin.
SALMON RUN
The $25 Fine silver coin, ‘Salmon Run,’ was designed by artist Emily Damstra.
Combining a host of technological features is the $25 Fine silver coin, “Salmon Run,” which was designed by artist Emily Damstra. It is the first silver wafer (rectangular in shape) to feature a combination of ultra-high relief engraving and translucent blue enamel mimicking the waters of the fast running stream from which a hungry grizzly is catching a sockeye salmon. The obverse of this collectible depicts the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II surrounded by a radiating pattern of engraved maple leaf outlines.
OTHER OCTOBER COINS
Also in store for October are:
- the $200 pure gold coin, “Armistice Poppy,” designed by Kerri Weller and featuring a central poppy coloured in translucent red enamel;
- the $10 Fine silver coin, “Armistice,” featuring a poignant illustration of a war-weary soldier by artist Laurie McGaw;
- the 10-ounce selectively gold-plated $100 Fine silver coin, “Keepers of Parliament: The Soldier,” featuring the artwork of Patrick Bélanger;
- the $20 Fine silver coin, “The Sinking of the SS Princess Sophia,” featuring a dramatic depiction of the 1918 loss of “the unknown Titanic of the West Coast” by accomplished maritime artist Yves Bérubé;
- the $30 Fine silver coin, “The Great White Shark,” designed by Emily Damstra and featuring dark blue rhodium plating surrounding a silvery engraving of the famed oceanic predator;
- the $50 Fine silver coin, “Famous Canadian Art: Emily Carr,” featuring her celebrated 1931 canvas Big Raven on a five-ounce pure silver coin, rendered in colour, with a texture emulating brush strokes;
- the $20 Fine silver coin, “Canada’s Historical Stamps: Arrival of Cartier 1535,” replicating the postage stamp issued in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City;
- the $3 Fine silver coin, “Falling Leaves Moon,” from The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon series designed by Frank Polson;
- the crystal-enhanced $5 Fine silver coin from the ongoing Birthstones series for the month of November, featuring a mandala-inspired topaz design by artist Pandora Young;
- the 50-cent lenticular coin, “Snowball Fight,” designed by Tony Bianco;
- the 2019-dated $30 Fine silver coin, “A Hundred Blessings of Good Fortune,” a fully gold-plated coin designed by Christopher Reid; and
- the 2019-dated $15 Fine silver coin, “Year of the Pig,” the 10th coin in the Chinese Zodiac series, designed by Aries Cheung.
For more information, visit mint.ca.