An unopened Royal Canadian Mint wooden box containing 100 Proof-Like sets from 1961 and a newly issued Samoan banknote caught the attention of collectors at the inaugural Welland Coin Show. Both are featured in the latest issue of Canadian Coin News (Vol. 64, No. 16), released Oct. 13, 2026.
Longtime collector Jerry Lemick brought an unusual piece of Canadian numismatic history to the Oct. 3 show: an original RCM wooden box containing 600 coins, still secured by the Mint’s original metal straps. Lemick purchased the box from a relative in 1964 and has never opened it. With approximately 111 troy ounces of pure silver inside, the box presents an intriguing question for a future owner: preserve the original packaging or open it to discover what the untouched sets might contain.
At the other end of the collecting spectrum was Samoa’s colourful new 100-tālā polymer banknote commemorating the 100th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s birth. Michael Findlay of Certified Coins of Canada brought examples to Welland after acquiring them at a September coin show in the Netherlands. Only 20,000 notes were produced, each carrying the distinctive QEII serial-number prefix.
But the Samoan note’s story took an unexpected turn. On Sept. 30, just weeks after its announcement, Samoa’s Cabinet ordered a hold on its release and use pending a government review. By then, examples had already entered the international collector market, where early sales suggested considerable interest. How many notes were distributed before the government intervened remains unknown.
From a sealed Mint box dating back 65 years to a modern banknote already surrounded by unanswered questions, the two discoveries illustrate why coin shows continue to attract collectors. Read the full story, including photographs and additional details, in the Oct. 13 issue of Canadian Coin News, available in print and digitally at CanadianCoinNews.com.