Fall season yields bounty of Royal Canadian Mint collector coins

OTTAWA, Oct. 11, 2013 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is offering customers a dazzling selection of new collector coins as a broad range of Canadian themes and anniversaries continue to inspire uniquely designed and finely crafted keepsakes.  From 50 years of Canadian peacekeeping in Cyprus to the 25^th anniversary of the Mint's world-renowned Silver Maple Leaf bullion coin, to majestic symbols of nature; treasured reminders of the holiday season; or coin and stamp sets celebrating Canada's NHL^TM teams, choices abound for collectors and gift-givers. These new releases are now available from the Mint and its network of official distributors.

"The Mint is proud to celebrate Canada's natural, cultural, and historical heritage through collector coins which stand out for their originality and craftsmanship," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "By their unforgettable designs and innovative features, our coins bring Canada's stories to life in a way that can be shared and treasured by generations."

The Mint has made its own history with the 25^th anniversary of the world-famous Silver Maple Leaf bullion coin.  An instant success since its introduction in 1988, this celebrated 1 oz. silver bullion coin continues to be a favourite of precious metal investors for its unsurpassed 99.99% purity.  Its universal appeal is magnified by two outstanding fine silver tributes. The first is a 1 oz. "Piedfort" coin, featuring a new interpretation of the iconic Sugar Maple design on a double-thick platform prized by collectors as virtual pedestals to designs of special significance.  The other imposing tribute to this anniversary is a five-ounce fine silver coin with a selectively gold-plated "shadowleaf" motif surrounding the Mint's trademark maple leaf bullion design.

The celebration of the iconic maple leaf continues with two innovative 2014-dated Maple Leaf fractional sets.  The four-coin 2014 Pure Gold Fractional Set is the first to ever feature incuse maple leaves.  Designed by artist Pierre Leduc, the brilliantly polished concave image of a maple leaf appears on coins of 1 oz., ¼ oz., 1/10 oz. and 1/20 oz. sizes.  The same sizes, which are added a ½ oz. coin, are found on the 2014 Fine Silver Fractional Set featuring overlapping Sugar Maple leaves designed by Arnold Nogy.  The mirror-like proof finish of this maple leaf pair has been accentuated by selectively gold plating the top leaf in a coin set engineered to stand out.

As 2014 marks the 50^th anniversary of Canadian Peacekeeping in Cyprus, the Mint has crafted a 99.99% pure silver coin featuring artist Silvia Pecota's image of a Master Corporal keeping watch at his United Nations observation post, while wearing an iconic blue beret, crafted in glossy enamel.  This unforgettable tribute to the universally-recognized Peacekeeper's uniform honours the thousands of Canadians who have served on the Cyprus peacekeeping mission since 1964, as well as those who have participated in or continue to serve other missions in the cause of peace around the world.

After carving out its reputation for impeccably crafting large-scale coins ranging from one to 100 kilograms in weight, the Mint is pleased to introduce a new five kilogram ultra-high relief collector coin crafted of 99.99% pure silver.  This new giant of the numismatic world celebrates Canadian art legend Emily Carr, whose iconic totem from her watercolour Tsatsisnukomi, B.C., 1912 has been transformed into a solid silver sculpture by Mint engravers Christie Paquet and Stan Witten.  The central image of a mystical bird has been engraved at a rarely seen depth, which seems to make this mighty totem symbol rise from the surface of this 18 cm-wide coin.  Only 100 of these masterful tributes to one of the world's greatest female artists are available for passionate coin collectors and art lovers world-wide.

A favourite theme of collectors returns with the arrival of new coins celebrating the holiday season.  Enhanced by technological innovations or traditionally crafted, these keepsakes celebrate all we have come to love about a special time of year in Canada: from glittering winter icons to time-honoured traditions.  This abundant selection of 2013-dated collectibles includes:

• A $20 Fine Silver Coin - Candy Cane, featuring bold colour over raised decorative elements and a Venetian glass candy cane;
• A $10 Fine Silver Coin - Holiday Candles featuring red enamel colouring;
• The continuation of our best-selling "crystal snowflake" coin series with the $20 Fine Silver Coin - Winter Snowflake featuring a black Swarovski crystal element;
• A $20 Fine Silver Coin - Holiday Wreath featuring five Swarovski crystal elements adorning a meticulously engraved wreath of spruce boughs;
• A $10 Fine Silver Holiday Coin - A Partridge in a Pear Tree incorporating a red-enamelled ribbon; and
• A 50-Cent Coin - Lenticular Snowman bringing to life a traditional scene of children building a snowman.

The onset of winter also signals the start of a new NHL^TM hockey season. To celebrate the return of a favourite Canadian pastime, the Mint has teamed up with Canada Post to produce coin and stamp gift sets celebrating each of Canada's NHL teams.  Fans have their choice of seven sets featuring an oversize 25-cent coin brightly coloured with the shield-framed logo of their favourite team, packaged in a "pop up jersey" folder also enclosing team stamps from Canada Post.

Several other products are on offer as a number of series continue, including:

• The 2013 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Bald Eagle: Mother Protecting Her Eaglets;
• $5 pure gold and $10 and $25 fine silver coins celebrating the Orca from the O Canada series;
• The 2014 $3 Fine Silver Spider & Web Coin form the Animal Architects series; and
• The 2013 $300 14 Karat Gold Coin - Northwest Territories from the Territorial and Provincial Coat of Arms series.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the "Shop" tab of www.mint.ca.

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online 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 of the Mint's newest collection are available by visiting ftp://communications:[email protected].

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint