The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to demonstrate its skill and craftsmanship with a new selection of precious metal collector coins celebrating symbols of Canadian heritage ranging from prehistory to heraldry. These new collector products include a $300 platinum coin featuring the giant prehistoric ground sloth, a $300 gold New Brunswick Coat of Arms coin and extra-thick “Piedfort” pure gold and silver Maple Leaf coins.

“The Royal Canadian Mint values the role its collector coins play in showcasing Canada’s vast heritage through precious and unforgettable works of art and craftsmanship,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.

“Collectors from Canada and around the world will find that the Mint’s newest collector coins honour the tradition of celebrating Canada’s defining features through keepsakes of uncompromising quality”.

The following are descriptions of the products now available to collectors and gift givers worldwide.

2010 $10 1/5-OZ PURE GOLD AND 2010 $5 1-OZ PURE SILVER PIEDFORT COINS – MAPLE LEAF

The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to celebrate its expertise and artistry in the field of precious metal refining and manufacturing with a pair of pure gold and silver “Piedfort” coins whose exceptional thickness distinguishes them from ordinary coins and makes them spectacular gifts or collectibles for those with an eye for the exclusive.

Both the $10 1/5 oz. 99.999% pure gold coin -the Mint’s first gold Piedfort, and the 1 oz. 99.99% pure silver coin -only the second of these coins the Mint has produced in silver, feature the iconic maple leaf, long symbolic of the Mint’s leadership of the world bullion industry. Only 3,000 1/5 oz. coins of 99.999% pure gold and 9,000 silver one-ounce coins of 99.99% purity are being made available in this exciting release.

The entire mintage of 99.999% pure gold coins Piedfort coin is offered as part of a set including the 99.99% pure silver Piedfort coin, retailing at $679.95 CAD. Another 6,000 individual silver Piedfort coins are being offered at $79.95 CAD each.

2010 $300 PLATINUM COIN — GROUND SLOTH

The fourth issue in the Mint’s exclusive Prehistoric Animals Collection of 9995 fine platinum coins features the gigantic Jefferson’s Ground Sloth, so called after the third President of the United States of America donated, in 1797, the first fossil specimens found in North America to Philadelphia’s American Philosophical Society. The tradition of showcasing the fascinating animals which roamed ancient Canada continues on this precious Mint coin containing a full ounce of pure platinum. Like the rare bones of the creature it immortalizes, this platinum coin has been made in very low quantities, with a worldwide mintage of only 200 examples. Designed by Alberta artist Kerri Burnett, this coin retails for $2,999.95 CAD.

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A reproduction of the allegory that appeared on the original 1935 $500 bank note

[ CoinLink News ] At a time when so many new coin releases exhibit such uninspired design, we can across this incredible beauty being offered by the Canadian Mint in a Limited Mintage of 200 pieces.

Perhaps we have just “classical” taste for the rich allegorical figures of yesteryear which seems to impart an importance to the design, or it may be that the “clip art” mentality exhibited on most modern coins just leaves us cold. In any case, this 5 oz gold just struck a cord, and provides us with a reminder of what exceptional coinage could, and should look like.

The design is a reproduction of the allegory that appeared on the original 1935 $500 bank note; a seated woman holding a sickle surrounded by the fruits of harvest to symbolize fertility.

This is the fourth time that the Mint has produced a 5oz gold coin. Previous issues: 2007 – Queen’s 60th Wedding Anniversary, 2008 – 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mint and 2009 – 150th Ann. of beginning of Construction of Parliament Buildings.

Theme:
The Bank of Canada began operating 75 years ago in 1935 and was given responsibility to regulate the country’s money supply and to “promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada.” Accordingly, it was given the exclusive right to issue Canada’s bank notes. On March 11, 1935, the Bank of Canada issued its first series of bank notes.

The inaugural series of 1935 included denominations of $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 and $1,000. (A $25 note was issued later in 1935 to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V).

The front of the notes featured a portrait of a member of the royal family or of a former Canadian prime minister while allegorical figures representing Canada’s growing agricultural, industrial and commercial prosperity appeared on the back. Each denomination was available in English or French, a practice that ended with the introduction of bilingual notes in 1937.

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Royal Canadian Mint marked spring’s arrival with a strong accent on nature in the launch of exciting new coins designed to appeal to the discerning collector and the budding coin enthusiast alike.

A number of popular series continue in this latest release of 2010, notably: the 99.999% pure gold Canadian Floral Emblems series featuring Manitoba’s Prairie Crocus; the 1/25 oz. pure gold coin honouring the RCMP; the Birds of Canada 25-cent coin series celebrating the colourful Goldfinch; and the 2010 50-cent specially-wrapped coin roll.

New entries include a $20 Fine Silver coin adorned with a painted water lily and CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements; a $2 “Young Lynx” circulation coin in a new Wildlife Specimen Set series; and, new Coin Collector Cards featuring complete sets of 2010 circulation coins available in four different “all-Canadian” backgrounds.

“Every year, Royal Canadian Mint coins are inspired by the best of Canada’s history, culture and values and the richness of these most recent themes proudly stands out on the best collector coins in the world,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “In the spring of 2010, our collector products continue to demonstrate that quality, innovation and artistry are at the heart of every coin produced by the Royal Canadian Mint”.

Below are descriptions of the featured products being launched today.

2010 $20 FINE SILVER COIN — WATER LILY
The addition of genuine CRYSTALLIZED™ Swarovski Elements to finely crafted Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins has delighted collectors since their first appearance of our popular Crystal Snowflake and Crystal Raindrop coins.  In 2010, this innovative enhancement simulates three water droplets shimmering over a beautifully painted water lily gracing the reverse of a 99.99% pure silver coin.

The painting of a blooming water lily on an impressive 38 mm coin is inspired by the 75th anniversary of Flore laurentienne, a seminal compendium of Canadian flora by renowned botanist Brother Marie-Victorin.  Designed by Quebec wildlife artist Claudio d’Angelo, this coin is limited to a mintage of 10,000 coins worldwide and retails for $104.95 CDN.

2010 PURE GOLD COIN — PRAIRIE CROCUS
The Mint’s 2010 $350 Pure Gold Coin is the 13th in a series started in 1998 and features the Prairie Crocus, Manitoba’s official flower.  Made of 99.999% pure gold, this newest addition to a precious collection of Canadian floral emblems stands out as the finest gold collector coin in the world.  The reverse of this exquisite coin was designed by Ontario botanical artist Celia Godkin.  Limited to a worldwide mintage of 1,400, this coin retails for $2,599.95 CDN.

2010 1/25 OZ GOLD COIN – RCMP
The smallest gold collector coin currently produced by the Mint has been a perennial favourite since its introduction in 2004. In 2010, the 1/25 oz 99.99% pure gold coin is dedicated to the RCMP, one of Canada’s best known and most enduring icons. This coin is limited to a world-wide mintage of 14,000 and retails for $109.95 CDN. (more…)