OTTAWA, May 30, 2012 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is
pleased to introduce beautifully designed and exquisitely crafted
collector coins which continue to capture the spirit and excitement
of the many milestones and anniversaries Canadians are celebrating
in 2012. The Mint's newest offering of fine collectibles includes:
the 100th anniversary of the Calgary Stampede,
immortalized in five-ounce pure gold and silver coins, as well as
colourful 25-cent cupronickel coin
and stamp set; a $1 fine silver
painted coin honouring the 25th anniversary of the
Canadian Loonie; a new fine silver "Lucky Loonie" coin minted in
honour of our athletes competing at the London 2012 Summer
Games; Bill Reid's Spirit
of Haida Gwaii featured on our first-ever five-kilo fine silver
coin; the newest issue from our vibrant $5 silver and niobium coin series featuring the
Full Pink Moon; and a 2012 gold fractional coin set celebrating the
Year of the Dragon.
"The world's greatest sporting events and our wonderfully
diverse heritage continue to offer the Mint new and exciting ways
to reflect the pride of Canadians in celebrating their culture,
their national symbols and their history through unforgettable
collector coins," said Ian E.
Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.
"The Mint is delighted that captivating themes which are endless
sources of Canadian pride and identity are uniquely and beautifully
archived in collector coins which are universally acclaimed for
their quality and originality."
The following describes the newest Mint products now available
to the public.
2012 $500 PURE GOLD AND
$50 FINE SILVER COINS - 100
YEARS OF THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
2012
In 1912, working cowboy and trick roper Guy Weadick, inspired by the traveling wild-west
shows that enjoyed world-wide popularity in the early 1900s,
convinced four local ranchers to help him produce the first
"Frontier Days and Cowboy Championship Contest", soon to be
christened the Calgary Stampede. After 100 years, Calgary, Alberta remains home to "the greatest
outdoor show on earth", which has welcomed millions of visitors and
dignitaries from all over Canada
and the world in a unique celebration of the romance and culture of
the old west.
The action and excitement which made the Stampede famous is
captured in stunning new 5 ounce, 99.99% pure gold and silver coins
which celebrate the most iconic imagery of western culture: the
bucking bronco; the rodeo rider and the intricate scrolling
embellishments of classic leather saddle design. All these
elements combine to immortalize a legendary horse named Grated
Coconut, a current star of the Stampede with six Bareback Horse
of the Year awards to its name. The trademark "CS" of the
Stampede and the key date of 1912 complete this tribute to 100
thrilling years of Calgary
Stampede history.
Designed by Calgary-based
western artist Michelle Grant, these
beautiful proof coins will appeal to serious rodeo enthusiasts and
coin collectors alike, who can also look forward to one more new
coin as the 100th Calgary Stampede approaches. With only
200 gold and 1,500 silver coins available world-wide, these very
exclusive coins retail for $11,999.95
CAD and $495.95 CAD respectively.
2012 25-CENT COLOURED COIN AND
STAMP SET - 100 YEARS OF THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
Millions in Canada and around
the world prize souvenirs of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and
in 2012, few things remember the Stampede better than a vividly
painted Royal Canadian Mint collector coin combined with a pair of
Canada Post commemorative stamps featured in a folder celebrating
the colourful 100-year history of the Calgary Stampede. Echoing the style of an
old-time rodeo poster, the reverse design of the Mint's oversized
25-cent cupronickel coin features a
dauntless cowboy riding for rodeo glory on the back of a bucking
bronco. The skyline of Calgary and the Canadian Rockies framed in
this scene created by artist Tony
Bianco capture the picturesque home of the 100 year-old
Calgary Stampede.
Canada Post's domestic and US mail rate stamps respectively
feature classic western riding gear and the silver belt buckle
awarded to Stampede champions. These are also Canada Post
Corporation's first augmented reality stamp. Buyers of this product
exciting and interactive product can see these stamps in a new
light by downloading the Stamps Alive app from
canadapost.ca/stampsalive.
Customers eager to collect a colourful and affordable memento of
the 100th Calgary Stampede should hurry to corral this
2012 25-cent Coloured Coin and Stamp
Set, as limited quantities are available at the retail price of
$25.95 CAD. Canada Post outlets in
Calgary and across Canada are carrying this exciting collectible,
in addition to a national and international network of official
Royal Canadian Mint distributors.
2012 $1 DOLLAR FINE SILVER COIN
- TWO LOONS
After producing more than a billion one-dollar circulation coins in support of
Canadian commerce since June 29,
1987, the Mint has chosen to mark the 25th
anniversary of the iconic Loonie with a unique 99.99% pure silver
collector coin.
The Loon design has graced the reverse of this pillar of
Canada's coinage since its elegant
illustration by Robert Ralph
Carmichael first appeared on the coin which replaced the
Canadian one-dollar bank note in
1987. This cherished symbol of Canadian identity is re-born in bold
lines and colours by First Nations artist Richard Hunt's Two Loons, captured on a
fine silver one-ounce proof coin.
No text appears on the reverse of this coin, allowing a
captivating image in red, black, white and green to stir the
imagination as each person to collect this coin admires the grace
and majesty of two Common Loons and their watery reflections.
Limited to a mintage of only 10,000 coins, this boldly designed
collectible retails for $109.95
CAD. The public can also look forward to a new
anniversary-themed coin soon before Canada's Loonie officially turns 25 on
June 30, 2012.
2012 $1 FINE SILVER LUCKY
LOONIE
Another special homage to the Loon takes flight with the Mint's
newest edition of the Fine Silver Lucky Loonie. In keeping
alive the recent tradition of wishing Canada's athletes good luck at Olympic and
Paralympic Games with special collector and circulation versions of
our iconic one-dollar coins, a 99.99%
pure silver coin with a new loon image by Canadian artist
Emily S. Damstra has been minted in
support of our teams competing at this summer's London 2012 Games.
This unique take on the original loon design of Canada's 1-dollar circulation coin features a rear view of
the Common Loon as it spreads its wings in a territorial display.
As it ripples the lake's waters, the loon faces a lake shore
densely wooded with the Canadian boreal forest's characteristic mix
of evergreen and deciduous trees. This proof finish silver Lucky
Loonie is also enhanced by a painted Canadian Olympic Team
logo. Limited to a mintage of 20,000 coins, this lucky
keepsake retails for $39.95 CAD.
$500 FINE SILVER COIN -
THE SPIRIT OF HAIDA GWAII 2012
After capturing the legendary forms of Bill Reid's Spirit of Haida Gwaii in
revealing the world's first 10-kilo 99.999% pure gold coin in 2011,
the Royal Canadian Mint is excited to revisit this celebrated
masterpiece of native Canadian art in a five-kilo, 99.99% pure
silver coin. The Mint's first ever silver coin in this
impressive scale beckons the attention of both art lovers and coin
collectors with dramatic ultra-high reliefs evoking the boldness of
the massive sculpture commissioned in 1985 for the Canadian Embassy
in Washington, D.C.
This stirring tribute to this cultural icon is hand-polished to
perfection in a proof finish and limited to 100 coins
world-wide. Proudly Canadian in every way, the design and the
production of this coin, its elegant collector's box crafted of
Canadian walnut wood, and the coin's certificate in a rich book
format are all domestically developed and produced. This fine
silver sensation is available for the retail price of $9,999.95 CAD.
2012 $5 NIOBIUM AND STERLING
SILVER COIN MOONS OF THE ALGONQUIN: FULL PINK MOON
The Mint is closing out its series of $5 sterling silver and niobium coins celebrating
the ancient tradition of the full moons of the Algonquin with a
fourth and final issue featuring The Full Pink Moon.
The Mint's innovative series of selectively anodized silver and
niobium coins has vividly captured the inspiring story of the
Algonquin people's incorporation of cultural and natural symbols to
identify the seasonal moon phases. In recounting the final
chapter of that timeless tale, the Mint has illustrated the full
moon of April; the month of new life. Known to the Algonquin
culture as the Full Pink Moon for the bright pink blooms of Phlox
flowers which carpet the landscape in springtime, the Mint has
created a stunning pink effect in the niobium inserts on the
reverse of this coin.
Preceded by The Buck; The Hunter; and The
Wolf; this coin, as well as all others in this series, was
designed by artist John
Mantha. Only 7,500 Full Pink Moon coins, each retailing
for $121.95 CDN, are available
world-wide.
2012 GOLD FRACTIONAL COIN SET - THE YEAR OF THE
DRAGON
The majesty of the highly anticipated Year of the Dragon has
been exquisitely expressed on a variety of Royal Canadian Mint
precious metal coins and in response to continuing demand for
exclusive keepsakes of this momentous year, the Mint is introducing
a very exclusive set of 99.99% pure gold coins in fractional
sizes. Ranging in sizes of one ounce, a half-ounce, a
quarter-ounce and a tenth-ounce, this exotic coin set features the
work of Three Degrees Creative Group of Vancouver, BC, whose stunning rendering of a
mythical dragon surrounded by lotus flowers and clouds of good
fortune has already embellished previous examples of the Mint's
pure gold and silver kilo coins.
Packaged in an Asian-inspired golden silk-covered collector box,
this highly exclusive coin set is limited to only 500 examples
world-wide, and retails for $5,499.95
CAD.
All of the Mint's products are available directly from the Mint
at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada,
1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the Internet at www.mint.ca. The
coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in
Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as through our global
network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada
Post outlets.
About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for
the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008
certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and
most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of
specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on
an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its
products and services, visit www.mint.ca
Images and product details of the Mint's newest collection
are available by visiting
ftp://communications:RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca.
SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint
