Last updated on April 6th, 2021 at 01:51 am
Last Updated on April 6, 2021 Posted by Colonial Acres Coins
In 1999, the world got ready to celebrate the dawn of the new millennium. While many people were excited about the year 2000, there were also some who were nervous about computer systems from around the world crashing due to the Y2K problem. When the millennium finally arrived, things went smoothly and systems around the world remained up and stable. At midnight on January 1, 2000, it was a huge party and a moment of excitement around the globe. Colonial Acres Coins is proud to offer coin collectors the opportunity to own a piece of millennium nostalgia, the Millennium coin series. These commemorative quarters capture the sense of wonder and optimism the world felt as the year 2000 approached.
Design Contest
In 1998, the Royal Canadian Mint announced a new coin design contest to celebrate the upcoming millennium. The Mint invited all Canadians to submit their entries for a new series of 24 coins to mark the momentous occasion. The plan was to create 12 designs for a series of 1999 quarters to commemorate the last 1,000 years of Canada. Additionally, the Mint wanted 12 additional designs for a series of 2000 quarters that would express Canada’s hopes and dreams for the future.
The first contest focused on the 1999 coins. It was named the “Create a Centsation!” contest, and the Mint received more than 33,000 entries. The second round of the contest, for the 2000 quarter designs, received 66,000 entries. The 1999 coins featured a different design from a winning entry for each month of the year. The 12 coins from the 2000 collection of quarters marked different values celebrated by the Canadian people.
Designs From Canada’s Past – 1999 Coin Rolls
The gorgeous quarter collection designs from 1999 were truly a crowdsourced undertaking. The coin series began with a design for January that showed Canada’s evolution as a country. February and March designs showcased Canada’s prehistory and the raftsmen who helped fuel Canada’s growth.
Other designs in the series recognized Canada’s First Nations and Inuit populations. They also featured artwork depicting Canada’s historic railways, the country’s pioneers, the fur trade, the bush plane, the people of the country and the children united together supporting the nation. The last design for December included 13 points on a gear to represent the 13 provinces and territories of the country. The design included symbols representing Canada’s resources, such as fields of wheat, mountains, forests, cities and Indigenous settlements.
Designs For Canada’s Future – 2000 Coins
The next series of coins from this collection marked the year 2000. This series used an assortment of Canada’s most important values to represent what citizens hoped and dreamed for the future of this great nation. The collection began with the value of pride. This first coin of the new millennium used a Canadian maple leaf and celebratory ribbon in the shape of the number two to kick off the year 2000. Ingenuity and achievement were the next two coins in the series. The designs on these coins evoked ideas of space travel, science and future discoveries.
The Mint then released coins celebrating health, natural legacy and harmony. The seventh coin in the series focused on the value of celebration, with a design featuring Canadian children gazing at a fireworks display. Other coins in the series included family, wisdom, freedom and creativity. The final coin in the series, community, displayed a map of Canada’s provinces on a picture of the globe.
If you want to own a part of this iconic coin collection, check out the rolls, sets and individual coin offerings from Colonial Acres. Choose your favourite design from this collection and take it home today.