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22-karat piece part of Mint's
very busy Vancouver Games
By Bret Evans
A new coin and a medallion honouring the first Olympic gold medal won by a Canadian on home soil takes pride of place in the Royal Canadian Mint's (RCM's) latest offering of Vancouver Games coins.
The coin was launched the day after Alexandre Bilodeau won his gold medal in the moguls freestyle skiing event.
Not depicting Bilodeau specifically, the medal shows an athlete holding a medal and a bouquet of flowers. Behind are three other athletes in what the RCM describes as "celebratory poses." A circle in the foreground has the Vancouver Games logo.
"The Mint congratulates Alexandre Bilodeau for his unprecedented victory and all members of the Canadian Olympic team for their lifelong dedication to sport and for bringing the country together to watch each thrilling moment of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games," said Ian Bennett, master of the Royal Canadian Mint.
Designed by Bonnie Ross, the $200 coin is struck in 22-karat, 91.6 per cent pure gold. The mintage limit is 2,010 coins and the price is $989.95. The coin has a weight of 16 grams and a diameter of 22 millimetres. The RCM was to present one of the coins to Bilodeau during the Games.
A second product, with an open mintage, is a gold-plated medallion depicting an athlete with arms raised in victory, with a Maple Leaf above. It has the inscriptions "Canada" and "Vancouver 2010." The reverse of the medal has the Vancouver Games logo.
The medallion is packaged in a folder-style holder with the title "With Glowing Hearts." Also included are several pellets, described by the RCM as "nuggets," containing metal used in producing the Olympic medals. The pellets were supplied by Teck Resources, a Canadian mining and resources company formed by the merger of Teck Industries and Cominco, and supplier of precious metals to the Vancouver Games.
The gold medal coin and medallion pushed aside news of the 2010 Lucky Loonie.
Launched during a hockey shootout event at the Vancouver Games, the loonie features the Ilanaaq, the official emblem of the Games.
According to Bennett, the RCM supplied a Lucky Loonie to each member of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams as "their own personal good luck charm."
A total of 10 million Lucky Loonies are to be distributed through Royal Bank of Canada branches. While some will be given out on request, others will be placed in circulation.
The coin was designed in-house and has the same specifications as a regular circulating $1 coin.
In addition to the circulating coin, the RCM has produced first-day-of-issue coins, rolls, and a silver collector version with a painted Games logo.
The Lucky Loonie dates back to the 2002 Winter Olympics, when Edmonton icemaker Trent Evans buried a loonie under centre ice. The coin served as a centre point for the puck-drop. Canada's men's and women's hockey teams both won gold at that tournament. The popularity caught Canadian imagination, and the idea was repeated in later years.
In 2003, a loonie was hidden in the padding of the opposing Swedish net during the final game of the International Ice Hockey Federation championships, and in the 2006 Winter Olympics, two loonies were hidden in the ice sheet used for curling.
The RCM has issued lucky loonies since the 2002 Games.
In another non-athletic Olympic event, the Mint invited Canadians to explain why they are the ultimate Vancouver 2010 fan, and take a shot at getting their face on a medallion.
Until March 21, Canadians can visit www.face.mint.ca to tell their tale by video or short story.
There are two grand prizes of 100 personalized medallions produced by the RCM featuring the face of the winner and a trip for two to Ottawa to accept the medallions.
Runner-up prizes include products from the Mint's Vancouver 2010 collection.
During the Games, the RCM operated an interactive pavilion for visitors, which housed an exhibit showcasing numismatic and circulation coins, the making of the Olympic and Paralympic medals, and the world-famous million-dollar gold coin.
"As a proud supporter of the 2010 Winter Games, the Mint is excited to welcome visitors to our pavilion where they will find unique attractions, interactive technology and the opportunity to get behind the scenes at the Mint," Bennett said. "We promise an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages."
The pavilion offered visitors a unique opportunity to get an up-close view of the medals for the Games and see how they were made, learn how coins are made, and strike a token inspired by the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Other highlights included a chance to handle a 400-ounce gold bar and a coin swap for circulating commemorative Games coins.
On Feb. 14, the Mint donated its Vancouver 2010 coin collection to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Bennett, along with Rob Merrifield, Minister responsible for the RCM, and British Columbia premier Gordon Campbell, presented examples of the circulating coins, the $25 silver hologram collection, a silver 2010 Lucky Loonie, and the 2010 Games Gold and Silver Maple Leafs, to Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC president for life.
The coins will be displayed at the IOC's Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Since January 2007, the Mint has produced 79 collector coins and 53 gift products celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
March 16 to March 29, 2010 issue of Canadian Coin News
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