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$200 piece among several new collector coins issued by Mint
By Bret Evans
The Royal Canadian Mint has resurrected an old bullion design for the latest "5 nines" gold coin.
The design is that of a mounted RCMP officer at full gallop.
Created by former Mint chief engraver Ago Aarand, it was first used for a $75 ten-sided one-ounce gold bullion coin in 1997.
This time it is transplanted to a round $200 coin, with a series of lines engraved in the field. The guaranteed value used on the $75 coin is not there, but five nines do appear under the horse.
The new bullion piece does not have a mintage limit. It is the fourth coin in a series of 99.999-per-cent gold coins introduced in 2007.
Cougar prowls silver $5
The third of a six-coin series of silver bullion coins on Canadian wildlife features a cougar.
The .9999 Fine coin has a mintage limit of one million coins. Designed by Mint senior engraver William Woodruff, the $5 coin shows a cougar with its front paw on a log.
Both bullion issues were officially unveiled at the American Numismatic Association World's Fair of Money, held mid-August in Chicago.
Crown continuity ends
Among the Mint's early September releases is the final coin in the silver "Continuity of the Crown" series.
The third coin in the series, it depicts Charles Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the throne.
Born in 1948, Prince Charles has a seat in the House of Lords and served as a career naval officer in the 1970s.
As with the other coins in the series, and an earlier one depicting monarchs from Queen Victoria to Elizabeth II, the coin is struck in ultra-high relief. The coins are hand-polished and quadruple-struck. As a result, coins do show minor inconsistencies.
The sterling (.925) silver coin has a face value of $15 and mintage limit of 10,000. It has a diameter of 36.15 millimetres and weight of 25.175 grams. It was designed by Ontario artist Laurie McGaw.
Earlier this year coins were issued for princes William and Harry.
Full Hunter's Moon
The second coin in the new niobium series depicts the October Moon, known in Algonquin culture as the Full Hunter's Moon.
The bimetallic coin has a sterling silver outer ring, while the core is sterling silver on the obverse with a niobium insert struck into the reverse. The niobium is then selective oxidized to an orange colour.
The $5 coin has a weight of 8.5 grams and diameter of 28 mm. It was designed by John Mantha and has a mintage limit of 7,500 coins.
Two other coins in the series, Full Wolf Moon and Full Pink Moon, will be issued later.
Coin marks CBC's 75th
A 25-cent coin has been issued to mark the 75th anniversary of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Radio Canada (CBC).
Formed as Canada's first coast-to-coast broadcaster, the CBC went on the air in 1936.
Just a few years later, it covered the1939 Royal Tour by King George VI.
During the tour, the CBC used a special microphone with wind-resisting devices, a breakthrough at the time, to capture the king's speech during outdoor broadcasts.
The microphone is at the centre of the reverse design of the coin. The coin comes with a 35-page booklet on the history of the CBC.
Designed by Mint engravers, the cupro-nickel coin has a diameter of 35 mm and is struck to Specimen finish. There is no mintage limit.
Ojibwa legend lives on 25-cent coin
The final coin in the Canadian mythical creatures series depicts Mishepishu, believed by the Ojibwa to be a shape-shifting wildcat with horns, scales and a fish tail.
According to legend, Mishepishu guards the natural copper found near lakes Superior and Ontario.
The 25-cent coin is struck on nickel-plated steel banks with colour added.
Measuring 35 mm in diameter, the coin is struck in Specimen finish and has no mintage limit. The coin was designed by Emily S. Damstra.
The previous two coins in the series depict Sasquatch and Memphre.
Christmas coins announced in August
There are a number of Christmas coins with embedded Swarovski crystals.
One coin, designed by Tony Bianco, depicts a Christmas tree with five peridot crystal elements serving as lights.
The Christmas tree is believed to have been introduced to Canada in 1781. That year, German forces under Gen. Friedrich Adolf Riedsel were stationed in Canada to assist British forces in resisting a potential invasion by American revolutionaries.
To boost morale, Riedsel hosted a Christmas party with a traditional German Christmas tree.
The custom grew further, and eventually spread to North America when Queen Victoria married German Prince Albert in 1840.
Two other coins each feature single crystal snowflakes, highlighted by crystal elements in the centre.
Designed by Konrad Wachelko, the coins have either a topaz or an emerald crystal in the centre.
Since the introduction of the first snowflake coin in 2007, every issue has sold out.
Two other coins, also designed by Wachelko, have multiple snowflakes.
The coins show three flakes of varying sizes, each with a crystal element in the centre. Again, the design is based on a previous issue. The colours chosen for 2011 are montana (bluish) and hyacinth (reddish).
All have a $20 face value, are struck in 99.99-per-cent silver, have a diameter of 38 mm and weight of 31.39 grams. They are struck in Proof and each has a mintage limit of 15,000. That makes a total of 75,000 crystal Christmas-themed coins.
First 2012-dated coins available
September also sees the launch of four coins around the popular lunar zodiac theme.
The 2012-dated coins reflect the Year of the Dragon.
Described as the ultimate "doers," dragons are loyal and fearless, but also demanding and egotistical.
One coin is a $15 silver piece with scalloped edges, the third annual lunar lotus coin.
Designed by Three Degrees Creative Group Inc., the coin shows a dragon with lotus flowers in the foreground.
Struck in .9999 silver, the Proof coin has a diameter of 38 mm, weight of 26.7 grams and a mintage limit of 48,888.
The same design is used on a round $250 silver kilogram Year of the Dragon coin.
The .9999 silver coin has a diameter of 101.6 mm and what the Mint describes as "a very limited mintage" of 5,888 coins.
The two final lunar zodiac coins of the September launch are a pair of gold and silver coins designed by Aries Cheung that show a stylized dragon in profile.
The gold coin is struck in 75-per-cent gold, with a mintage of 2,500, diameter of 28 mm and weight of 11.84 grams. It has a face value of $150.
The silver coin is struck in 99.99-per-cent silver, with a mintage of 48,888, diameter of 38 mm and weight of 31.39 grams. It has a face value of $15.
Man in Motion medal
Finally, the Mint has issued a medal commemorating Rick Hansen's 25th anniversary relay.
Hansen became famous for his Man In Motion world tour, which raised $26 million for spinal cord-injury research.
The Mint issue is a replica of the relay participant medal and includes a bezel so it can be used as a key fob or pendant.
The medal has a diameter of 35 mm and weight of 12.51 grams and is struck in cupro-nickel with a Specimen finish. There is no mintage limit disclosed.
Each purchase includes a donation to the Rick Hansen Foundation.
September 13, 2011 to September 26, 2011 issue of Canadian Coin News
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