Posts Tagged ‘Coin’
Happy Canada Day!
When I think of Canada several things spring to mind: the iconic maple leaf, the caribou and beaver, ice hockey and Celine Dion, just to name a few. But at the top of my list is without a doubt the Royal Canadian Mint.
As one of the three ‘Royal’ Mints in the world – alongside The Royal Mint here in the UK and the Royal Australian Mint – they are known for their innovation and impressive minting techniques, resulting in some of the most magnificent issues I’ve ever seen.
So to celebrate Canada Day, I’ve rounded-up my top five favorite Canadian releases, each demonstrating why they are one of the most prestigious mints in the world. Believe me, some of these issues are truly incredible!
Take a look for yourself…
The R&D Security Test Token Set
It will come as no surprise to know that the Royal Canadian Mint is the market leader in numismatic security.
The R&D Test Token set offers us a glimpse at never-before-seen minting techniques which will shape our future coins, and are sure to impress even the most seasoned coin collectors.
Included are six specimen tokens with high-tech design elements showcasing fascinating examples of tri-metal technology and micro-text. What’s more, each token included in the set is a real life trial piece which has been used in laboratory testing. So each set is completely unique – no two will be the same! Click here to find out more >>
Lest We Forget Silver Helmet-Shaped Coin
This issue truly is one of a kind. The minting expertise required to strike such an impressive coin is astounding – I’ve never seen a coin like it.
Not only is it struck from the Mint’s signature .9999 Pure Silver, but it’s an incredible miniature replica of the steel Brodie helmets worn by British and Commonwealth forces during the First World War.
How the Mint achieved this result I will never know – it remains a closely guarded secret. There are even engraved cracks and markings you would find on an original helmet. The final antique finish gives an authentic distressed look, the fine detail is incredible. Click here to find out more >>
Pure Silver D-Day Coin
The first step in to battle takes incredible courage, and this year to mark the landmark 75th anniversary of D-Day the Royal Canadian Mint issued perhaps the most poignant D-Day commemorative yet.
This stunning issue perfectly captures the moment Canadian soldiers set foot on Juno Beach. It is expertly struck from a quarter ounce of .9999 Pure Silver – or “four nines Silver”, the purest grade available for which the Mint is known – and has an innovative reverse proof finish which replicates the texture of the sand. Click here to find out more >>
3D Monarch Caterpillar Coin
Some of nature’s most beautiful things come in small packages. And this remarkable issue is no different.
The Monarch Caterpillar Pure 1oz Silver Coin is a perfect combination of Italian craftsmanship and Canadian design. It features a stunning 3D Monarch Caterpillar handcrafted from Murano glass, poised upon the selectively coloured design of a swamp milkweed plant leaf.
The combined traditional engraving, colour and Murano glass creates a truly unforgettable piece. Click here to find out more >>
John Lennon Silver 1oz Coin
It’s hard to believe that just 50 years ago, John Lennon and Yoko Ono conducted their “Bed-in for Peace” protest against the Vietnam War and debuted the most famous anti-war anthem of all time – Give Peace a Chance.
It was a moment that has forever cemented a bond between John Lennon and Canada. A bond that is marked by the release of this limited edition John Lennon commemorative.
Using bespoke printing technology the coin features a photographic image of John and Yoko during their protest and is struck from 1oz Pure Silver to a mirror-like proof finish.
Considering the worldwide popularity of John Lennon and the legacy of Give Peace a Chance, it comes as no surprise that this coin has been incredibly popular. Click here to find out more >>
But that’s not all! There’s plenty of other fantastic coins that have been issued by the Royal Canadian Mint. You can take a look at the full range by clicking here >>
How a young queen saw the world without leaving Europe…
Despite ruling over 400 million people in an empire that covered almost a quarter of the world’s surface, Queen Victoria had never set foot in many of the countries that she ruled over.
For many of those people, the only way to catch a glimpse of their empress was by looking at the portraits on the coins that passed through their hands every day. These coins formed a vital connection between people, even though they may have lived on opposite sides of the world and experienced very different lives.
India became known as the Jewel in the Empire’s crown, and was so important to Victoria that she was awarded the title of the “Empress of India” in 1876. Although she never stepped foot in the subcontinent, the currency of India (the rupee) was minted with her portrait on from 1840, so people could recognise their empress despite living 4,500 miles away!
The rupee is one of the oldest currencies in the world, so to feature a British monarch for the first time was an important moment in numismatic history. The later portrait issued on rupees was similar to the Gothic Head effigy can be considered one of the most beautiful coins of the empire.
1840 Indian Rupee 
1886 Indian Rupee
Another numismatic first took place in Australia in 1855, one more country that Victoria never visited (which is hardly surprising as it would have taken her almost two months to get there!). As the empire grew, so did the need for coins and the Royal Mint opened branches in Australia to mint sovereigns for the empire. In 1855 the first ever sovereign to be minted outside of the UK, the Sydney sovereign, was issued. It featured a portrait of Victoria that was based on the Young Head effigy, but with a sprig of banksia weaved through Victoria’s hair, giving the portrait a distinct Australian feel.
A number of Royal Mint branches were opened throughout Australia after the success of the Sydney sovereign. To identify the mint that sovereigns were produced in, mintmarks were added to the coins, with a small ‘P’ for Perth, and an ‘M’ for Melbourne. The sovereign became legal tender in the majority of British colonies in the 1860s, and its importance in British trade, and worldwide circulation earned it the title “the King of Coins”. By the final years of the British Empire, the sovereign was minted in four continents across the globe.
‘P’ Mintmark for sovereigns minted in Perth 
‘M’ Mintmark for sovereigns minted in Melbourne
India and Australia weren’t the only countries that saw Victoria’s portrait. Her image also reached as far as Hong Kong, Ceylon, East Africa and New Zealand. In 1870 the first Canadian dollar with Victoria’s portrait was issued, taking Victoria’s image to a new side of the world for people to see.
Victoria never left Europe, but her portrait and image stood strong on coins around the world. Whilst she never stepped foot in many of the countries that she ruled over, that didn’t stop people recognising her image around the world. The coins that they used every day provided a link to the empire that they were a part of, despite the miles between them.
If you’re interested
You can now own a genuine Victorian Silver Rupee, minted over 4,500 miles away! Click here for more info>>>>
The political scandal that created the 18th century’s most interesting coin…
It is hard to imagine a scandal taking place today where the political leaders of our country are arrested for causing the financial markets to crash. But that is exactly what happened when the ‘South Sea Bubble’ burst.
The ‘South Sea Bubble’ was a political and financial scandal that led to the arrests of leading members of Parliament and the near collapse of the stock market. From this turmoil one of the 18th Century’s most interesting coins was produced. Let me tell you how it happened…
The South Sea Bubble
A trading label of the South Sea Company
The South Sea Company at the heart of the scandal was a trading company with a monopoly on trade in South America. The company was heavily linked with the government of the day, and a number of MPs owned large shares in the company.
Because of their shares in the company, members of the government began using phoney insider information to convince investors of the huge potential in South American trade, and therefore the profitability of the South Sea Company.
However, once investors realised that there was insider trading taking place, the company’s share price collapsed causing a catastrophic loss of money and property.
Edward Matthew Ward’s depiction of the South Sea bubble (1846)
Frantic bankers and members of the gentry who had lost their life savings stormed Parliament and the Riot Act was read to restore order. An enquiry found that more than 500 members of Parliament had been involved in the crash and the Chancellor of the Exchequer was imprisoned.
The South Sea Company Shilling
Reverse of the South Sea Shilling
On the brink of collapse, the South Sea Company luckily stumbled across a horde of silver in Indonesia and sold the precious metal to The Royal Mint.
The silver was minted into coins in 1723 with distinctive ‘SS’ and ‘C’ notations on the reverse. The proceeds from this silver helped enable the South Sea Company to recover from the scandal and ultimately continue operating for another century.
The shillings struck with this silver are now almost 300 years old and are a relic of a financial and political disaster which shook the whole country.
If you’re interested…
Historic silver issues are extremely difficult to source, however we have a small stock of just 50 South Sea Shillings available for collectors. Click here to find out more >>