The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the world’s preeminent precious metal refineries, producing some of the finest gold and silver coins and bars the world knows today. RCM is also the official sovereign mint for national currency in Canada, and works with the Canadian federal government to strike commemorative silver bullion and circulation currency. In 2017, Canada celebrates a milestone in its quest for direct rule with its 150th anniversary of Confederation.
As such, the Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating the landmark in style, releasing an array of beautiful gold and silver coins to mark the occasion. This week we take a walk through many of the coins on offer from the Royal Canadian Mint, with all featured items available from JM Bullion in our online catalog.
A National Symbol
The sugar maple leaf runs as deep in Canadian history as the nation itself. An important symbol to both First Nation tribes and European settlers that called the region home centuries later, the maple leaf remains today as one of Canada’s most vibrant and beautiful symbols of hope and democracy.
With a limited mintage of just 6,000 coins, the 2017 2 oz Proof Canadian Silver 150th Iconic Maple Leaf coin celebrates the moment in appropriately style. For the 150th anniversary of Canada’s federation and independence from British rule without representation, the Royal Canadian Mint has micro-laser engraved the number “150” in a recurring pattern on the background field of the coin’s obverse and reverse side. The maple leaf shape on the reverse forms a light-refracting patter that enhances the visual beauty and shine of these coins.
On the reverse of the 2017 2 oz Proof Canadian Silver Canada 150 Iconic Maple Leaf coin you’ll find that familiar sugar maple leaf design on all Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coins. The tiny engravings of 150 are visible, appearing almost as recurring dots rather than actual text across the background field.
One Coin, Two Symbols
The limited mintage release of the 2017 1 oz Proof Canadian Silver Piedfort Timeless Icons coin features just 7,000 coins in its release, and features the first-ever selective gold plating of a fine-silver piedfort coin from the Royal Canadian Mint. It beautifully depicts two of the nation’s most important symbols.
The beaver and maple leaf have long played a vital role in Canadian national identify. The industrious beaver was the backbone of the initial trades and economics of Canada, with its valuable skins and pelts drawing traders from around the globe to the bountiful riches in Canada’s natural environment. As for the maple leaf, it predates the nation itself as a symbol of the land, its people, and the hope for a good future.
Each of these 2017 1 oz Proof Canadian Silver Piedfort Timeless Icons Coins includes selective gold plating on both the obverse and reverse faces of the coin. The proof finish of these silver coins includes this gold plating for added elegance and dimension to the design features of the coin.
On the reverse of all 2017 1 oz Proof Canadian Silver Piedfort Timeless Icons Coins is the image of a maple leaf from the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf, with a beaver in front of the maple leaf. There is a center line vertically that separates the detailed finish on the left (marking Canada’s past) and the mirrored finish on the right (marking Canada’s future).
A Birthday for a Nation
A nation of outdoor enthusiasts and tremendous natural wonders, the maple leaf was a natural choice for the official symbol of a country with such bountiful treasures in the outdoors. As part of the nation’s 150th birthday celebration, yet another silver coin is available with that timeless icon in the form of the 2017 ½ oz Canadian Silver 150th Birthday Maple Leaves Coin.
Available with a mintage of 35,000 coins, the reverse of the 2017 ½ oz Canadian Silver 150th Birthday Maple Leaves Coin is the image of a lone, solemn branch that has two small maple leaves clinging to the end of it. Engravings include the words “150 Years/Ans,” “2017,” and the “K – G” initials of the designer, Kruger-Gray.
The Return of a Classic
The Royal Canadian Mint is reviving some of the nation’s greatest coinage designs as part of the 150th anniversary celebration. One example is the Canadian Goose coin from the Big Coin Series, which revives a Canadian Centennial circulation design from 1967. This image appears in the 3rd release of the Big Coin Series of silver coins for sale from the mint in the form of the 2017 5 oz Proof Canadian Silver Alex Colville Big Coin Series Canadian Goose.
This coin is the first in a series that will help the nation of Canada celebrate 150 years, and third overall in the Big Coin Series. As the first release, the Royal Canadian Mint went all out in the reproduction of the images found on the original Canadian Centennial circulation coins from 1967 on the nation’s 100th anniversary.
Canadian artist Alex Colville’s 1967 Canadian Goose $1 (CAD) coin design is majestically recreated on these 2017 5 oz Proof Canadian Silver Big Coin Series Canadian Goose Coins. Both sides of the coin feature a selective gold plating around the rim, with the Canadian Goose plated in gold on the reverse and Queen Elizabeth II’s crown and dress plated on the obverse.
The reverse of each 2017 5 oz Proof Canadian Silver Alex Colville Big Coin Series product features the image of a Canadian Goose flying across the coin’s surface from right to left. Designed by Colville, this image appeared on the 100th anniversary Canadian Centennial circulation dollars in 1967 as a symbol of the Canadian spirit.
Celebrating All Things Canadian
Finally, any outdoor enthusiast can tell you that Canada is a land of many natural wonders, from the iconic fauna and flora to landmarks that transcend beauty. The latest example of this in the JM Bullion catalog is a silver coin from the Celebrating Canada Series. The 2017 ½ oz Proof Canadian Silver Celebrating Canada’s 150th Series Grizzly Bear Coin has a limited mintage of 25,000 coins in total.
On the reverse of the 2017 ½ oz Proof Canadian Silver Celebrating Canada’s 150th Grizzly Bear coin is the image of a massive grizzly as it lays in the long grasses enjoying a summer day. Its massive skull and paws are visible as it lounges in the sun, almost squinting its eyes the light is so bright.
Celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary is a 13-coin collection from the Royal Canadian Mint that takes you across each province and territory’s unique flora, fauna, landscapes, and historic landmarks. The series as a whole is a collaboration between the Royal Canadian Mint and Canadian Geographic, which lends its magnificent photos from across the country for the series.
There is a new coin released each month in the collection; each one with a vibrant colorized design and presented in order of the entry of Canada’s provinces and territories into the Confederation. The 2017 ½ oz Proof Canadian Silver Celebrating Canada’s 150th Grizzly Bear coin was designed by Janet Stevens and finished with a matte proof.
Background on Canada’s 150th Anniversary
First Nation people have called the North American continent, including modern-day Canada, home for thousands of years. European settlers began colonizing the nation with the arrival of the French and British in the 16th century. The first permanent colony of Canada was established in 1534 by the French.
Following decades of conflict between the European powers, the United Kingdom brought most of modern-day Canada into its control by the late 18th century at the conclusion of the French-Indian Wars on the North American continent. The British North America Act of July 1, 1867 (nearly 100 years later) established a semi-autonomous federal Dominion of Canada comprising the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Over time, an accretion of provinces and territories occurred until the self-governing dominion took its formal shape known to most today, which includes the ten provinces and three territories of an independent Canada.
Canada’s march toward independent control took several decades. The Statute of Westminster, signed in 1931, gave Canada near-total independence from the United Kingdom, leaving the British Parliament with control to amend Canada’s constitution upon request from the Parliament of Canada. Full independence was finally gained with the Constitution Act of 1982, which gave Canada full authority over its constitution and removed the final remaining ties of legal dependence with the United Kingdom.
However, all of this was achieved with the first steps of a brave new nation. Those steps were taken in 1867 with the move toward confederation.
Shop JM Bullion
You’ll find all the brilliant 150th anniversary Royal Canadian Mint coins listed above available in our online portfolio at JM Bullion. If you are interest in further information, such as our other silver bullion products or the price of silver per ounce, just visit our website to find all the information you need.
