Long-time dealer Sean Isaacs, the owner of Almonte, Ont.’s Alliance Coin & Banknote, celebrated this year’s Eid with the launch of the “Mosques of Canada” series.
“As a coin dealer for the past 30 years, I have been waiting for the Royal Canadian Mint to issue a coin helping us to celebrate Ramadan; however, this has never happened,” said Isaacs. “There have been almost 50 different Christmas coins, more than 125 issues commemorating Chinese traditional culture and even our friends in the East Indian community have enjoyed four different Diwali coins – but never a single tribute to our thriving Canadian Muslim community.”
The first issue of one-ounce .999 silver commemorative medallions features the Ottawa Mosque, where Isaacs first took Shahada – an Islamic oath and one of the Five Pillars of Islam – more than three decades ago. Only 140 medallions were struck and remain available while supplies last for $60 each (tax exempt). Each medallion is held in a display case with a numbered certificate.
For more details, contact Isaacs at sean@alliancecoin.com.
Islam’s most important holidays, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha begin on May 12 and July 19, respectively. They are celebrated around the world, including in Canada, where more than one million Muslims make up about three per cent of the population.