Category Archives: Top Story

After a close competition between six contestants who submitted a dozen designs, CCN’s COVID-19 medal is now ready to order. Anthony Waite, 57, of Edmonton, Alta., submitted the winning design featured on the reverse of the medal, which will be available in three compositions, including silver, with a limited mintage of 100, plus cupronickel and... Continue reading →

A burgeoning art form that has steadily gained momentum since the early 1980s, carving hobo nickels “feels like meditation” to one Canadian producer. Because they are individually carved, hobo nickels – essentially bas-relief sculptures – are all unique works of art, something that appeals to collectors and carvers alike. While there’s no Canadian club focusing solely on... Continue reading →

As Canada came to the fore of the numismatic world in the mid-19th century, it was on the backs of numismatic researchers and writers like Robert Wallace McLachlan. Born in Montréal in 1845, McLachlan amassed the most extensive coin collection in 19th-century Canada. What was in 1894 more than 8,000 pieces, ranging from ancients to... Continue reading →

Nearly 1,300 lots crossed the block this September during Colonial Acres’ two-session Premier Auction, which topped 100 active online bidders and hit a successful sell-through rate of three-quarters. Paper money, bullion and high-quality key-date coins led the way in the Sept. 11-12 sale, which saw strong realizations in each of those three sections. Aside from... Continue reading →

Numismatic history dates back to at least the Renaissance (1300-1600) and possibly even to ancient times. Through the centuries, numismatics’ backbone has been research and writing, which remain at the forefront of the hobby today. Research and writing are how seasoned collectors break new ground – the inexorable march of numismatic progress – but it’s... Continue reading →

The relative success of Canada’s Dominion Bank Act, which shifted control of the banking industry to the government beginning in 1870, was exacerbated by the Long Depression a few years later. A worldwide recession, the Long Depression was triggered by the so-called “Panic of 1873,” which was driven by several factors and quickly strained bank... Continue reading →

While the annual convention of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (RCNA) was cancelled due to COVID-19, the show’s four-session auction is going ahead online. The 1,944-lot auction was originally scheduled to take place at the July 21-25 convention in Halifax, N.S.; however, with the pandemic causing widespread event cancellations since mid-March, the sale was pushed... Continue reading →

Despite their inclusion in some of the most significant Canadian numismatic collections of all-time, medals remain an “under-appreciated” area of the hobby in this country. Going as far back as April 1895, when the Gerald Hart Collection was sold in New York by auctioneer Henry Merry, medals played a prominent part in collectors’ interests. The... Continue reading →

For their issuers, banknotes have always been a product of necessity. The card money used to pay soldiers in New France, the early notes issued by chartered banks to control the money supply, and even Canada’s modern notes – upgraded about every decade to combat counterfeiting – are examples of how banknotes serve society’s financial needs.... Continue reading →

Long-time dealer Don Olmstead, who was also a frequent contributor to CCN Trends, died on June 20 after a “short but courageous” battle with cancer. A long-time member of the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers (CAND), Olmstead specialized in paper money and served the collecting community since 1976 as Olmstead Currency. Aside from his vast numismatic... Continue reading →