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…
Royal Canadian Mint
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,…
$20 Discovering Dinosaurs: Mercurys Horned Face Silver Coin
Discover a Commemorative Coin Featuring a Canadian Dinosaur Species The continued popularity of the “Jurassic Park” film franchise is just one indication of the enduring fascination that dinosaurs hold for human beings. Part of the fascination is that, with all that humans have learned about dinosaurs over the past 200 years or so, there are still new species to discover and new things that fossils can teach us. Mercuriceratops is a dinosaur species first discovered within the last 15 years. As part of its Discovering Dinosaurs series, the Royal Canadian Mint has released a new $20 silver coin featuring the…
Tribute to Alexander Graham Bell With this Royal Canadian Mint Coin
Chances are that you carry around a piece of Alexander Graham Bell’s legacy in your pocket. Bell is credited as the inventor of the telephone, a device that revolutionized communication worldwide by allowing people to talk to one another at great distances in real time. Though he was born in Scotland and did much of his important work in the United States, he moved with his family to Canada as a young man and eventually died here. The year 2022 marks the 175th anniversary of Bell’s birth, as well as the 100th anniversary of his death. In his honour, the…
Exploring More About Indigenous Culture with this 2018 Thunderbird Silver Coin
One of the good things about coin collecting is that it offers opportunities to learn more about the designs of the coins and the history behind them. For example, in 2018, the Royal Canadian Mint released a commemorative coin featuring an important mythological figure in the cultures of Indigenous peoples across Canada and the United States: the Thunderbird. Coin’s Design The Thunderbird is a mythological creature that figures in the traditions of Indigenous peoples all across Canada and the United States, from the Northeast to the Plains to the Northwest. The design of the 2018 Thunderbird coin is by an…
Celebrate A Birthday With This 2022 Canadian Coin Set
Coin collecting can be a fun and engaging hobby to enjoy by yourself. However, like many activities, it is even more enjoyable when it is shared. The Royal Canadian Mint’s gift sets are the perfect examples of this. They feature special, collectable coins but are intended primarily to be given as gifts. Following a now decades-long tradition, the RCM released a birthday gift set in 2022. The Royal Canadian Mint’s Birthday Coins The birthday gift sets are a fun way to mark a special day. Every year, the Mint produces a special coin, typically a Loonie, with a unique, commemorative…
