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2012-dated coin among several new issues
By Bret Evans
The Royal Canadian Mint has already issued a 2012-dated coin, a crystal-embedded silver coin commemorating the upcoming Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.
The $20 piece, designed by Laurie McGaw, is a two-headed coin. The reverse shows a young effigy of a crowned Elizabeth II, quite different from the laureated effigy introduced in 1953, with the dual dates 1952 and 2012. The obverse has the contemporary Susannah Blunt effigy used on Canadian coins since 2003. The Swarovski crystal element appears on the obverse, where it is used in place of the numeral zero of the dual dates.
The actual anniversary will take place on Feb. 6, 2012, the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne upon the death of her father, King George VI. Her coronation did not take place until March 23, 1953.
The coin is struck in 99.99-per-cent silver, with a weight of 31.39 grams and diameter of 38 millimetres. The mintage limit is 15,000.
The Proof coin is one of several rolled out by the Mint and unveiled to the public on April 26.
At the time of the announcement, Ian Bennett, master of the Royal Canadian Mint, said the coins honoured Canadian heritage while combining innovation.
"The richness and diversity of Canada's heritage inspires the Royal Canadian Mint to design and create collector coins which stand out for their visual appeal, craftsmanship, and innovation," Bennett said. "The Mint is proud to continue offering Canadians and collectors worldwide so many ways to enjoy the beauty, history, and traditions of Canada through unforgettable and irresistible coins."
Ladybug in Venetian glass
A second $20 silver piece is the first coin in the world to have a Venetian glass embellishment, a tiny ladybug. The insect is perched on the leaf of a coloured tulip design on the coin. Both the ladybug and the tulip are considered signs of spring.
Tulips became an important part of Canadian culture at the end of the Second World War, when Holland presented Canada with more than 100,000 tulip bulbs to thank Canada for hosting Holland's crown princess and her daughters since 1940, and for the efforts of Canadian soldiers in liberating Holland.
Today more than three million tulips bloom each spring in Ottawa.
The tiny ladybug is handmade in Murano, Italy, and attached to the coin by the Mint in Ottawa.
The coin itself has the same specifications as the Diamond Jubilee coin. In fact, the crystal and glass elements appear in the same location on the coins, implying that the same planchets are used for both.
The coin was designed by Mint engravers and the ladybug by Giuliano Donnagio. The coin is struck in Proof and has a mintage limit of 5,000.
A second ladybug coin, using the same design but without an embedded element, has also been issued.
The 25-cent coin is struck on nickel-plated steel blanks with no mintage limit. The tulip and ladybug designs are coloured, as with other coloured non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) 25-cent pieces.
The coin is packaged in a friendship-themed gift card. The card shows the Dutch royals while living in Canada and scenes from Ottawa's tulip festival.
The strike is described as Specimen.
Flowers blooming
Yet another silver $20 coin has been issued, a coloured piece depicting a wild rose.
Produced with the same physical specifications as the previous two $20 coins, this example has three small Swarovski crystal elements on the leaves and petals of the flower.
The Proof coin is designed by Margaret Beset and has a mintage limit of 10,000.
It is not the first time the wild rose has appeared on a Canadian coin. In 2002, the Mint issued a $350 gold coin showing the plant as the floral emblem of Alberta. That coin was designed Dr. Andreas Kare Hellum.
The final gold coin in that series was also included in the Mint April introductions: a 99.999-per-cent, or "five nines" piece, depicting the mountain avens, floral emblem of the Northwest Territories. One of the few flowers to thrive in northern climates, another variety of the plant is the national flower of Iceland.
The coin, which has a diameter of 34 mm and weight of 35 grams, is designed by Caren Heine. It concludes a series that started in 1998.
The $350 coin has a mintage of 1,300.
Birthstones on 12 coins
In what may be the single biggest series of the year, the Mint has announced 12 different coins with a birthstone theme.
The $3 silver coins do not have an actual birthstone embedded, but do have Swarovski crystal elements in the same colour as the actual stones. There is more than one list of birthstones, but the Mint has chosen to use the modern, rather than the traditional list. The stones depicted are: January, garnet; February, amethyst; March, aquamarine; April, diamond; May, emerald; June, alexandrite; July, ruby; August, peridot; September, sapphire; October, tourmaline; November, topaz; and December, zircon.
The reverse design is simply a crystal element in the centre of a radiating flower design with 12 petals, one for each month. The obverses have the Susanna Blunt effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Proof coins have a weight of 7.96 grams and diameter of 27 mm. They are struck on 99.99 silver blanks with no mintage limit.
Sasquatch sighting
The Sasquatch takes pride of place on a second coloured 25-cent nickel-plated steel coin, the first in a series of three showing Canadian mythical creatures.
The coin is packaged in a folder showing a somewhat imaginative design of the creature and card with background on the story, entitled "Myth?... or Missing Link?"
Emily S. Damstra is credited as the artist. The Specimen coin has no mintage limit.
The other two coins will be issued later in the year. They are the Memphre, June 16; and the Mishepishu, Sept. 1.
Train series steams along
The run of silver $20 coins continues with a non-colourized piece depicting the Canadian Pacific D-10 locomotive.
The final coin in the "Great Canadian Locomotives" series, the coin has a mintage of 10,000 and the same physical specifications as the previous $20 silver issues. The coin also has the name of the locomotive engraved along the edge.
Starting in 1938, more than 500 D-10 - described in rail terms at 4-6-0 based on the wheel configuration - locomotives were built. Most were used on freight runs, with the last engine not going out of service until 1960.
No designer is credited for the coin.
The D-10 is also featured on another $20 silver coin: a 2002 edition in the methods of transportation series. That series, which shows typical Canadian examples of various methods of transportation since Canada's early days, shows a D-10 as an example of the golden age of steam.
Baby tracks
Another baby product, a $4 silver coin, shows tiny footprints.
The new coin, which weighs a half-ounce and is struck in 99.99 silver, is described by the Mint as an extension of the 2011 baby gift set and special 25-cent piece.
The reverse has the inscription "Born in 2011" in both English and French, with the words "Canada" and "4 dollars." The coin is packed in a sleeve saying, "Welcome to the world." There is a spot on the certificate of authenticity for a personalized message.
The proof coin has a mintage of 10,000. No designer is credited for the Proof issue.
Towering tribute
The 35th anniversary of the CN Tower in Toronto is marked with a collector card.
The card, which contains Uncirculated examples of all six 2011 circulating coins, shows the tower on both sides. The reverse side has the typical skyline view of the tower, while the obverse shows a closer view of the tower, along with a brief history.
The card has cut-outs to hold the coins, and the whole set is contained in blister packaging. No mintage limit is provided for the set.
May 24, 2011 to June 6, 2011 issue of Canadian Coin News
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