Queen Elizabeth II joined an elite group of monarchs in 2022 when she celebrated her Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of service on Britain’s throne. It’s been a special year for the Queen. The Royal Canadian Mint honoured Her Majesty with a special $20-coin. Only four other monarchs have ever celebrated that anniversary, Louis XIV of France, Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein, Sobhuza II of Swaziland and Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. What Makes This Coin Special? As with every Canadian coin, the obverse of the coin features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It’s the reverse of the coin that…
Royal Canadian Mint
2022 $30 Multifaceted Animal Family Bald Eagles Silver Coin
2022 $30 Multifaceted Animal Family Bald Eagles Silver Coin Canada is home to some magnificent forms of wildlife, and the bald eagle is one of the most majestic. Though often associated with the United States, which claims it as its national bird, the bald eagle is also native to Canada and important to its ecosystem. Therefore, it makes sense that the Royal Canadian Mint has produced a coin to celebrate these fascinating raptors. The $30 Animal Family Bald Eagles coin depicts an aspect of the birds’ lives that most people don’t get to observe: raising their offspring. What Is Special…
2022 Canada Conservation Stories: Swift Fox Specimen Set
The Royal Canadian Mint is minting collectable coins to raise awareness about endangered Canadian species through its Conservation Stories series of specimen coin sets. This year marks the third set to be released as part of this series and it features the swift fox, a species that actually went extinct in Canada at one point but was later successfully reintroduced. How Can You Tell the Swift Fox Apart From Other Fox Species? Canada is home to several species of foxes in addition to the swift fox, including the grey fox, arctic fox, and red fox. The swift fox looks similar…
2022 First Strikes Canadian Coin Roll Collection
First impressions can be unforgettable, and in 2022, the Royal Canadian Mint gives you the opportunity to collect first impressions for yourself. In this context, “first impressions” refer to the first circulation coins to be struck for 2022 at the RCM facility in Winnipeg. Canadian coin rolls in each denomination are collected and displayed side-by-side in a special box for presentation. What Is the History Behind the Royal Canadian Mint’s Winnipeg Location? Rising up majestically from the prairie surrounding it, the Winnipeg location for the Royal Canadian Mint is an impressive glass-panelled building that is roughly the shape of a…
The History Behind Why Canadians Celebrate Victoria Day
The History of Victoria Day Canada has been an independent nation since the passage of the British North America Act in 1867. However, Canadians have long recognized their historic ties to the British Empire, which reached its pinnacle under Britain’s second-longest reigning monarch, Queen Victoria. May 24th has been designated as Victoria Day (Fête de la Reine in Quebec) and has been a federal holiday for seventy years. Like Memorial Day in the States, it marks the beginning of summer in the Dominion. In addition to parades, fireworks and gun salutes, the Royal Canadian Mint issues its own commemorative coins to…
Great Britain Myths and Legends Coin Series
The Royal Canadian Mint is not the only one that produces collectable coins in honour of its country’s history and heritage. The Royal Mint in Great Britain also produces collectable coins in series that follow common themes. The Myths and Legends series began in 2022 with three silver coins featuring characters from the legend of Robin Hood. The legend of Robin Hood dates back to the Middle Ages and is one of Great Britain’s most enduring folk stories. There are many different versions of the story, which was first told in ballads around the 12th century. The story has since…
Camping Season is Here! Discover Coins that Feature the Great Outdoors
If you are lucky enough to live in a climate with four seasons, you understand how it feels when the season of spring comes. There are more than enough activities to enjoy during the cold winters but nothing feels better than consistent warm days with plenty of sunshine. Camping is a well loved experience many families participate in and is the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Other activities that people enjoy throughout the year involving the outdoors are hiking, birdwatching, swimming and playing sports. From 2013 to 2017, the Royal Canadian Mint produced and sold four coins to…
A Canadian Celebration of Courage: 2022 Moments to Hold Coin Series
The Royal Canadian Mint frequently releases Canadian coin series to commemorate special moments and important events from Canada’s history. This year the Mint is offering a special series dedicated to courage. The series is called, “2022 Moments to Hold.” This subscription series offers silver coins for collectors and history buffs. Here are some details about this iconic series of coins from the Mint. Background of the Royal Canadian Mint Series The coin series for the “2022 Moments to Hold” includes events from this year that Canadians can take pride in. Some of these events are anniversaries or milestones that show…
New Minting Technology: 2021 R&D Security Test Token Set
Counterfeiting coins has become a significant problem in Canada, with counterfeit toonies even showing up in rolls of coins obtained from banks. The Royal Canadian Mint is working in its Research and Development facility to create coins that have extra security features to resist replication. The new collector’s set of R&D test tokens allows you a glimpse behind the scenes at what the coins of the future could look like. What Exactly Is Included in the Set? The set consists of six Canadian tokens developed and used for testing at the Royal Canadian Mint’s R&D facility in Winnipeg. These tokens…
Were the Canadian Half Penny Tokens Considered Coins?
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Canada was a colony of Great Britain. For some period of time, the territory was divided into two districts, Upper Canada and Lower Canada, along with the maritime colonies, now provinces. These districts had different ways to issue coins and money to the colonists living there, including providing colonial tokens. Since the British government didn’t supply enough materials for coins to the provinces, banks and private companies started issuing their own substitutes for coins in the form of tokens. Canadian Coins in the 19th Century Before the Royal Canadian Mint was founded in 1908,…
