First of 60,000 Diamond Jubilee medals struck

Canadians will be honoured throughout 2012

By Bret Evans

Governor General David Johnston struck a medal at the Royal Canadian Mint on Dec. 6 to mark the upcoming 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the throne in 1952.

A total of 60,000 of these medals will serve to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians as they are awarded throughout 2012. All are being produced by the Mint at its Ottawa facility.

"For more than 70 years, the handcrafting of medals has been integral to the Royal Canadian Mint's role in commemorating Canadian achievement and we are proud to continue that tradition with the production of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal," Mintmaster Ian Bennett said. "The Mint is delighted to join fellow Canadians in paying homage to Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee through the production of this medal, as well as by issuing an exciting array of collector coins celebrating this exceptional milestone in Canadian royal history."

The design of the medal, created by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, as part of the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General, was first unveiled by the Governor General at Rideau Hall on Feb. 3 and reported in Canadian Coin News at that time. The Royal Canadian Mint transformed this two-dimensional drawing into an ultra high-relief medal. This is the second such commission for the Mint, which also produced the 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal.

Composed of nickel and featuring a Proof finish, the obverse of the medal depicts a crowned image of the sovereign, in whose name the medal is bestowed. The reverse is based on the Queen's Canadian Diamond Jubilee logo. The medal has a central diamond shape, with the background composed of a pattern of diamonds, and the dates 1952-2012. The royal cypher consists of the royal crown above the letters E II R (Elizabeth II Regina, the latter word meaning Queen in Latin). The maple leaves refer to Canada, while the motto "VIVAT REGINA" means "Long live the Queen."

The ribbon uses a new arrangement of the blue, red and white colours found in the 1953 Coronation Medal, the 1977 Silver Jubilee Medal, and the 2002 Golden Jubilee Medal. As it is worn on uniforms, it is required to have a unique ribbon, as full medals are only worn on dress uniforms.

The ribbon has a red field with two thick white lines in the centre and a fine blue line at each edge. It is not unique to Canada; all Commonwealth members, including Britain, use the same ribbons for medals, orders, and decorations.

The inaugural presentation ceremony of the Diamond Jubilee Medal will take place in February 2012.

While the medals will not be awarded all at once, and may be awarded posthumously, they can only be awarded to Canadians who are alive on Feb. 6, 2012. The Mint has already begun to count down to the 60th anniversary of Elizabeth's reign with an extensive collection of coins dedicated to this theme. In May 2011, the Mint released a pure silver and crystal coin as its first collectible and several other collector keepsakes, including a world-first gold coin incorporating a genuine diamond, followed in October. More collector coins will be struck for the Diamond Jubilee celebration in March 2012.

In Canada, the medal is worn before the Golden Jubilee Medal and after the RCMP Long Service Medal.

January 3, 2012 to January 16, 2012 issue of Canadian Coin News