Royal Canadian Mint
Encyclopedia
The Royal Canadian Mint produces all of Canada
's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold
, silver
, palladium
, and platinum
bullion coins; medal
s, as well as medallions and tokens. It further offers gold and silver refinery
and assay
services.
The Royal Canadian Mint is a Canadian Crown Corporation
, and operates under the legislative basis of the Royal Canadian Mint Act. As a Crown Corporation, it is 100% owned by the Government of Canada
, which is its sole shareholder. It also serves the public’s interest while mandated to operate “in anticipation of profit”, meaning that it functions in a commercial manner and does not rely on taxpayer support to fund its operations. Like private sector companies, the Mint has a Board of Directors
consisting of a Chair, the President and CEO of the Mint and eight other Directors.
Traditionally, the President of the Royal Canadian Mint is known as the Master of the Mint. The current president is Ian E. Bennett
, who was appointed to the position in June 2006 and was re-appointed to a further three-year mandate effective June 12, 2011. The Board of Directors, through the Chair, is accountable to the Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities
, who has currently delegated this responsibility to the Minister of State (Transport). The Minister serves as the link between the Mint, Cabinet and Parliament.
The Mint has recently been named one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” by Mediacorp Canada Inc. for four consecutive years (from 2007 to 2010).
For the first fifty years of Canadian coinage (cents meant to circulate in the Province of Canada were first struck in 1858), the coins were struck at the Royal Mint
in London, though some were struck at the private Heaton Mint in Birmingham
, England. As Canada emerged as a nation in its own right, its need for coinage increased. As a result, a branch of the Royal Mint was authorized to be built in Ottawa in 1901.
During a short ceremony, Lord Grey
and his wife, Lady Grey, activated the presses for the Canadian Mint on January 2, 1908, officially opening the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint. When the facility first opened, it had 61 employees. Three years later the Mint began refining gold by electrolysis in its assay department. This method proved to be too time-consuming and in 1915 the Mint introduced a new chlorination process developed in Australia to reduce processing times and increase the Mint’s gold refining capacity. Since then, the Mint’s refinery has undergone several changes and expansions. Today’s process is a combination of Chlorination and Electrolysis.
Over the years the Mint had used different processes to recover and sell the silver often found in unrefined gold, but, in 2006, the Mint opened a new, state-of-the-art silver refinery that finally allowed it to refine silver. The silver is first upgraded in an oxygen converter and then refined by electrolysis.
It wasn’t until the Great Depression that the Ottawa Mint negotiated its independence from the British Royal Mint. In 1931, the Ottawa Mint was renamed the Royal Canadian Mint and began reporting solely to the Department of Finance. Although the Mint continued to rely on the Royal Mint to produce the master tools required for the creation of its punches and dies, the Mint was finally under Canadian control. In 1969, the Government of Canada reorganized the Mint as a Crown corporation
. As such, the Mint was no longer a branch of the Department of Finance. It would operate like a corporation with its own Board of Directors and increased decision-making powers.
The Mint’s facility in Ottawa is currently responsible for producing collector and commemorative coins, bullion in the form of coins, bars, wafers and grain, medals and medallions. This is also where the master tooling is done to create the dies that strike coin designs for both circulation and commemorative issues. The Mint's gold and silver refineries and assay labs are also located in Ottawa, as is a full-time Advanced Engineering Research team dedicated to R+D projects.
The last surviving member of the Mint’s original staff was Owen Toller.[5] He started in the Mint as a Junior Clerk and retired as an Administrative Officer. He retired after 45 years of service on January 6, 1953. Mr. Toller died in November 1987 at the age of 102.
In November 1960 the Master of the Mint, N.A. Parker, advised the Minister of Finance that there was a need for a new facility. Capacity had already been reached in Ottawa. The Philadelphia Mint was producing a large number of Canadian 10¢ coins and all numismatic coins being produced in Hull, Quebec
. It was finally recognized that the Mint required an additional facility.
In 1963 and 1964, the government discussed the possibility of building a new facility, which would be functional within two years. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
suggested building the facility in Elliot Lake, Ontario. A 1968 study indicated that the Ottawa Mint facility was truly antiquated. When the Royal Canadian Mint became a Crown Corporation in 1969, many believed that a decision would be reached.[7] But although funds had been allocated for a new facility, no real planning had begun. Emphasis was made on finding space in Ottawa. It was decided that the Royal Canadian Mint would keep the historic building but have a new facility for the manufacturing of circulation coins.
The federal government of the time, led by Pierre Trudeau
, decided to decentralize many public services. The result was a claim for restitution from the province of Manitoba, complaining about its loss of many military bases. In February 1970, Supply and Services Minister James Richardson, the Minister responsible for the Mint, proposed the possibility of a new facility in Winnipeg
.
This proposal was cause for debate because it was legally stipulated that the Mint was unlike any other government operation and that money should be produced in Canada’s capital region. Another point of tension was that the Cabinet Minister was from Winnipeg. Plants that are over 1,000 miles apart would endure communication and distribution difficulties. A study had shown that the division had merit because raw materials could be purchased from a supplier in Alberta, rather than a competitor outside of Canada. Eventually, it was agreed upon in December 1971 that the Mint would build a facility in Winnipeg. The land was purchased in 1972 and construction began at the end of the year.
The new facility was completely different in appearance from the facility in Ottawa. Architect Étienne Gaboury
designed a striking triangular building that rises up dramatically from the surrounding prairie. (Note: E. Gaboury was Design Architect; Number Ten Architectural Group was Project Architect.) The Mint facility in Winnipeg was officially opened in 1976. The Winnipeg branch of the Royal Canadian Mint allowed the Ottawa facility to concentrate solely on collector coins while Winnipeg would produce the entire supply of circulation and foreign coins.
The Winnipeg facility is also responsible for producing the circulation currency of other nations. Since opening its doors in 1976, the Mint’s Winnipeg facility has produced coinage for over 70 countries: centavos for Cuba, kroner for Norway, fils for Yemen, pesos for Colombia, kroner for Iceland, baht for Thailand, and a thousand-dollar coin for Hong Kong. Other client nations include Barbados, New Zealand and Uganda.
The Ottawa facility is open to the public for guided tours daily, seven days a week, while its counterpart in Winnipeg is open on weekdays only, with the exception of the peak Victoria Day to Labour Day tourist season. Up-to-date tour schedules are available by visiting www.mint.ca. Reservations are recommended, especially for large groups. Tour prices range depending on age, group and day of week. A great variety of the mint's collector products are also available for sale.
Traditionally, the President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint is known as the Master of the Mint. The current president is Ian Bennett
(appointed in 2006), and the Chairman of the Board is James B. Love. In descending chronological order, the individuals who have served as the Mint’s Master Engraver are: Cosme Saffioti, Ago Aarand, Walter Ott, Patrick Brindley, Myron Cook, and Thomas Shingles
.
The government department responsible for the Royal Canadian Mint is the Department of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. There are currently 10 members of the Mint’s Board of Directors, and 12 members on its Executive Team. The Royal Canadian Mint has four lines of business: Bullion and Refinery Service, Canadian Circulation, Foreign Business, and Numismatics.
A listing of all the Masters of the Mint is as follows:
A listing of all the Mint's current Board of Directors is as follows:
Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mint operates a technically advanced refinery in which it refines precious metals from a variety of sources including primary producers, industry, recyclers and financial institutions. The Mint refines raw gold to 995 fine through the Miller chlorination process. The gold is then cast into anodes which are purified to 9999 fine using the Wohlwill electrolytic process.
In May 2007, the Mint produced the world’s first and only 99.999% pure gold Maple Leaf Bullion (GML) coins. Offered in limited-edition one ounce gold bullion coins, three series of these special GML coins were produced (2007, 2008, 2009) in addition to the 99.99% pure GML coin, which is produced on demand. A 100 kilo version of the 99.999% pure GML coin was produced as a promotional tool and was later sold as a product when interested buyers came forward.
Recently, up to two billion Canadian circulation coins are struck each year at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg. While the effigy of the reigning monarch has appeared on every Canadian coin produced by the Mint since 1908, reverse designs have changed considerably over the years. The Mint often introduces new commemorative designs which celebrate Canada’s history, culture and values.
With the exception of the one- and two-dollar circulation coins, all of Canada’s circulation coins are produced using the Mint’s patented multi-ply plated steel technology.
was won in January 1970, to produce six million rimmed blanks in a copper nickel alloy. This was their first export contract since a contract for the Dominican Republic 32 years earlier. The second contract came in April 1970 with the Central Bank of Brazil. The RCM produced 84 million blanks for the 50 centavo piece. In August 1971, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
placed an order for 2 million five fil pieces. This was followed by an order from Iceland
for 2.5 million one crown pieces.
In October 1971, the Bank of Jamaica
asked the RCM to produce a commemorative ten dollar coin in sterling silver, and a twenty dollar gold coin of proof quality. Also in 1971, the RCM made coins for the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Iran, and the Isle of Man. An order for 100 million general circulation five centime and ten centimo coins for Venezuela
was received as well. By 1973, orders totaled sixty five million coins, and seventy million blanks. By 1974, the Ottawa facility produced a total of 1.2 billion coins (foreign and domestic), a facility record.
Part of the Winnipeg Mint's legacy is its role in producing the circulation currency of other nations. 50 million units of the 20¢ Australian coin featuring a platypus were minted in 1981. These have included centavos for Cuba
, kroner for Norway, fils for Yemen
, pesos for Colombia
, kroner for Iceland
, rupiah for Indonesia
, baht for Thailand
, and a thousand-dollar coin for Hong Kong
. Other client nations include Barbados
and Uganda
.
More recently, the Mint has produced coins for a variety of other countries such as New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
In 2005, the Mint was awarded a contract valued at US $1.2 million to produce 50 million Toea coins for Papua New Guinea. The circulation coins were produced in denominations of 5 Toea, 10 Toea and 20 Toea, and were manufactured at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg.
In 2008, the Mint produced over three million coloured 50 Toea coins for Papua New Guinea. These were the world’s first coloured coins to circulate outside of Canada. In addition to adding a painted design to more than three million coins, the Mint was required to identically orient the design on every coin. To accomplish this, the Mint, in collaboration with Canadian robotic equipment manufacturer PharmaCos Machinery, developed its own robotic arm to “pick and place” each coin on the painting line, creating a new technical capability unique to the Royal Canadian Mint.
The Mint has also supplied 230 million low denomination coins to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in 2006. The Reserve Bank chose to reduce the size of its existing 50-, 20- and 10-cent coins and manufacture them using the Mint’s multi-ply plating technology.
The customers have included governments, central banks, and treasuries. In 2005 alone, the RCM manufactured 1.062 billion coins and blanks for 14 countries. From 1980 to 2005, the RCM has manufactured approximately 52 billion coins for 62 countries. These coins are manufactured at the Royal Canadian Mint's facility in Winnipeg.
The Mint produces circulation and numismatic coins, ready-to-strike blanks, medals, medallions and tokens for customers around the world. They also offer dies, die coatings, master punches and tooling, plus roll and wrap and other coin packaging. The Mint has the capacity to produce over 2 billion circulation coins or blanks per year for foreign governments.
Made of base and precious metals, several of the Mint’s numismatic coins are enhanced by special technologies including holograms, enameling, lasering and embedded crystals. The Mint also produces medals, medallions and tokens as part of this business line.
The Mint produces a great number of military decorations for the Department of National Defence including: the Sacrifice Medal, the Canadian Decoration and Clasp, the General Campaign Star, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Bars, the General Service Medal, the Special Service Medal, the Operational Service Medal, the Memorial Cross and the Canadian Victoria Cross. It also produces military decorations for Veterans Affairs Canada, as well as long-service medals for the RCMP and artistic achievement awards for the Governor General of Canada.
The Mint is also proud to have produced the athlete medals of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and, most recently, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Mint produced 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals at their headquarters in Ottawa for the 2010 Winter Games.
In 2004-05, the coins were sold in sets of four coins that featured two wildlife species: the Arctic Fox (2004), and the Canada Lynx (2005). Each coin was of a different value and depicted the animals in a separate pose. Colour and selective gold plating have also been applied to special issues of SML. Holograms have proved popular applications, having been featured on SML coins in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
In 2010, the Mint introduced a new series of silver 9999 fine one-ounce bullion coins featuring Canadian wildlife. The first coin, launched in late 2010, depicts a wolf, while the second features a grizzly bear. The third design, depicting a cougar, is set to be released on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 for public sales.
Platinum Maple Leafs were struck in 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, 1/15 ounce, and 1/20 ounce weights, between 1988-1999 and again in 2009. In addition, the Platinum Maple Leafs were sold in special issue sets in 1989 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the GML, and in 2002 as a five-coin set featuring holograms. In 1999, the coins featured the Polar Bear design appearing on the inner ring of the two-dollar circulation coin.
and nickel
) were needed for the war effort. The composition of the 5¢ coin was changed to tombac
in 1942; and the design was changed to a V for Victory in 1943. The composition was changed again to nickel-chromium
-plated steel
in 1944.
The concept for the V design came from Winston Churchill's famous V sign, and the V denomination mark on the US 5¢ pieces of 1883–1912. A novel feature was an inscription of Morse code
on the coin. This International Code message meant "We Win When We Work Willingly" and was placed along the rim on the reverse instead of denticles. The regular reverse and composition were resumed in 1946. Chromium-plated steel was again used for the 5¢ coin from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War
, but the reverse was unchanged.
. Designed by Alex Colville
, every coin produced that year featured a creature that is native to Canada: a rock dove on the 1¢ coin, a rabbit
on the 5¢ coin, a mackerel
on the 10¢ coin, a lynx
on the 25¢ coin, a howling wolf on the 50¢ coin, and a Canada goose
on the dollar. A commemorative gold $20 coin was also struck for collectors' sets, with a coat of arms on the reverse. It is worth noting that the Royal Canadian Mint actually wanted to commemorate Canada's 60th anniversary in 1927 with variant coin designs.
officer astride a horse, to celebrate the centennial of the founding of the North-West Mounted Police (now the RCMP).
In 2007, the Mint also released a 75-dollar coloured gold coin featuring RCMP officers astride their horses, as part of an extensive program of collector coins celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. This coin, designed by Cecily Mok, is composed of 58.33% gold and 41.67% silver.
The Mint has also issued two bullion coins in celebration of the RCMP. The first is a 1997 1 ounce gold coin, which was produced for the 125th anniversary of the RCMP. The second is a 2010 1/25 ounce gold coin and was designed by Janet Griffin-Scott.
canoe had been planned initially, but the master reverse die was lost in shipment between Ottawa and Winnipeg, so a new design was necessary. This coin was introduced in 1987, replacing the $1 banknote
completely beginning in February 1989. In 1996, a $2 circulating coin (known widely as the toonie) was introduced, featuring a polar bear on the reverse, and the $2 banknote was withdrawn. The $2 coin was also a first for the mint in that it used a bi-metallic structure – the centre of the coin is bronze
-coloured and the circumference is nickel-coloured.
’ centennial. This coin’s reverse is engraved with the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ logo and a stylized ‘100’ framed by the dates 1910 and 2010.
asked the RCM to produce a commemorative ten dollar coin in silver, and a twenty dollar gold coin of proof quality. Also in 1971, the RCM made coins for the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Iran, and the Isle of Man. An order for 100 million general circulation five centime and ten centimo coins for Venezuela
was received as well. By 1973, orders totaled sixty five million coins, and seventy million blanks. By 1974, the Ottawa facility produced a total of 1.2 billion coins (foreign and domestic), a facility record.
Two years later, the Monetary and Foreign Exchange Authority of Macau
commissioned the Royal Canadian Mint to create a commemorative coin to recognize the transfer of the Macau region to the People’s Republic of China
. The coin is silver and featured a gold cameo. The face value is 100 patacas and had a diameter of 37.97mm and a guaranteed weight of at least 1 troy ounce (31.1034768 grams), while most 1 oz silver R.C.M. coins weigh 31.3 grams. The Royal Canadian Mint item number is 644309 and the issue price is $102. The coin features a Portuguese ship and a Chinese barque sharing coastal waters. The historic Ma Gao Temple (Pagoda de Barra) appears in the cameo.
In 2009, the Mint produced coins and blanks for 18 countries, including the Decimo de balboa (10-cent coin) for Panama.
On October 19, 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint issued ten new collector coins, including a 25¢ coin minted to commemorate the 60th wedding anniversary of Elizabeth II
, Queen of Canada, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
; and a $15 sterling silver coin bearing the effigy of Victoria
, the first from the series of five coins illustrating the effigies of the previous Canadian monarchs.
with 24 million tokens. These tokens were taken out of service in 2007 for official use. The lightweight token was replaced due to the ease in duplicating counterfeit versions.
This particular plating process uses a steel core that is electro-magnetically plated with a thin layer of nickel, then a layer of copper and finally another layer of nickel. As a smaller quantity of copper and nickel is required, this process has reduced circulation coin production costs. The composition of plated coins is more durable, thereby reducing the number of damaged coins in circulation and increasing their overall efficiency. By varying the thicknesses of the alternating layers of nickel and copper, the Mint can also create coins with unique electro-magnetic signatures, preventing fraud and producing the most secure circulation coins on the market.
In 2006, the Mint produced a second colourised circulation coin in support of a future without breast cancer. The 25-cent coin features the iconic pink ribbon symbolizing breast cancer awareness.
More recently, the Mint produced another two 25-cent Poppy circulation coins in 2008 and 2010, both of which feature colourised designs.
In 2008, the Mint also produced 50 Toea colourised coins for Papua New Guinea. These coins are particularly unique because they were manufactured using a robotic mechanism that oriented the coins in such a way as to ensure that all the colourised designs faced the same direction.
This new technology was also used to produce the “Top Three Moments” coins. These 25-cent coins were part of the Mint’s Vancouver 2010 circulation coin program and featured designs celebrating the top three favourite moments in Canadian Winter Games history. The men’s hockey gold medal at Salt Lake City in 2002 was voted by fans as the #1 Canadian Olympic Winter Games Moment of all time – out of 10 moments - in an online contest hosted in 2009 by the Mint and Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. Coming in at #2 was the Canadian women’s hockey gold medal at Salt Lake City 2002, followed by Cindy Klassen at #3 and her five long track speed skating medals at Turin 2006. The coins marking these top three favourite moments were launched into circulation on September 29, 2009, November 17, 2009 and January 5, 2010 respectively.
Their Vancouver 2010 coin program included the largest circulation coin series in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games ever conceived by any mint worldwide. It included the production of 17 circulation coins, 15 of which were of the 25-cent denomination and two of which were one-dollar ‘Lucky Loonies.’ The Mint was the first Mint in the world to commemorate the Paralympic Games on a circulation coin. These commemorative 25-cent coins were distributed across the country through participating Petro-Canada and Royal Bank of Canada locations.
Regarding the circulation coins, one of the novelties is that D.G. Regina (dei gratia regina, or "by the grace of God queen") will be removed from the Queen's effigy, making the 25¢ coins the first "godless circulating coins" since the 2001 International Year of the Volunteer 10¢ piece. On the 1911 issue of King George V, the inscription was accidentally left off. The first circulating $1 coin will be dated 2008 but the obverse will be the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt with the wording "ELIZABETH II" and "D.G. REGINA" with the Circle M privy mark.
In addition to its circulation coin program, the Mint introduced a series of 36 collector coins ranging from multi-coloured sterling silver Lucky Loonies to premium gold coins. Most notably, two $2500 Kilo Gold Coins were produced as part of this program, marking the first time the Mint has issued a pure gold coin with a guaranteed weight of one kilogram.
The program included also included the production of two Sterling silver Lucky Loonies in 2008 and 2010, with mintages of 30,000 and 40,000 respectively.
Each medal features a piece of one of two contemporary Aboriginal artworks and weighing 500 to 576 grams each. The design appearing on each of the Vancouver 2010 medals is based on two large master artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC. Each medal features a unique, hand-cropped section of her artwork. The Vancouver 2010 medals are also undulating rather than flat. They had to be struck nine times each in order to achieve this unusual shape.
The medals were on display throughout the 2010 Winter Games at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion in Vancouver. There, visitors waited in line to see and hold the medals, sometimes for over seven hours. During the Olympics, the Mint Pavilion at the Segal Centre entertained 140,639 visitors, while the medal display at the Vancouver Public Library during the Paralympics saw 30,000 visitors.
With so much interest generated by their Vancouver 2010 program, the Mint opened an additional retail outlet in Vancouver. This store is located at 752 Granville Street, between Georgia and Robson streets.
while on duty. These officers are required to re-qualify their CPR and firearm annually. Their duties include:
Recent issues concerning Royal Canadian Mint assets include:
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The Mint also designs and manufactures: precious and base metal collector coins; gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, palladium
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
, and platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
bullion coins; medal
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
s, as well as medallions and tokens. It further offers gold and silver refinery
Refinery
A refinery is a production facility composed of a group of chemical engineering unit processes and unit operations refining certain materials or converting raw material into products of value.-Types of refineries:Different types of refineries are as follows:...
and assay
Assay
An assay is a procedure in molecular biology for testing or measuring the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism or organic sample. A quantitative assay may also measure the amount of a substance in a sample. Bioassays and immunoassays are among the many varieties of specialized...
services.
The Royal Canadian Mint is a Canadian Crown Corporation
Crown corporations of Canada
Canadian Crown corporations are enterprises owned by the federal government of Canada , one of Canada's provincial governments or one of the territorial governments. Crown corporations have a long standing presence in the country and have been instrumental in the formation of the state...
, and operates under the legislative basis of the Royal Canadian Mint Act. As a Crown Corporation, it is 100% owned by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
, which is its sole shareholder. It also serves the public’s interest while mandated to operate “in anticipation of profit”, meaning that it functions in a commercial manner and does not rely on taxpayer support to fund its operations. Like private sector companies, the Mint has a Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
consisting of a Chair, the President and CEO of the Mint and eight other Directors.
Traditionally, the President of the Royal Canadian Mint is known as the Master of the Mint. The current president is Ian E. Bennett
Ian Bennett (Royal Canadian Mint President)
Ian E. Bennett is the current Master of the Royal Canadian Mint . He held this position since June 12, 2006 and his mandate has been extended to 2014. A distinguished federal public servant, Mr. Bennett has held several positions within the Department of Finance including Deputy Minister from...
, who was appointed to the position in June 2006 and was re-appointed to a further three-year mandate effective June 12, 2011. The Board of Directors, through the Chair, is accountable to the Minister of Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities
Minister of Transport (Canada)
The Minister of Transport is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's transportation regulatory and development department, Transport Canada...
, who has currently delegated this responsibility to the Minister of State (Transport). The Minister serves as the link between the Mint, Cabinet and Parliament.
The Mint has recently been named one of “Canada’s Top 100 Employers” by Mediacorp Canada Inc. for four consecutive years (from 2007 to 2010).
Ottawa facility
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
in London, though some were struck at the private Heaton Mint in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England. As Canada emerged as a nation in its own right, its need for coinage increased. As a result, a branch of the Royal Mint was authorized to be built in Ottawa in 1901.
During a short ceremony, Lord Grey
Albert Grey, 4th Earl Grey
Albert Henry George Grey, 4th Earl Grey was a British nobleman and politician who served as Governor General of Canada, the ninth since Canadian Confederation....
and his wife, Lady Grey, activated the presses for the Canadian Mint on January 2, 1908, officially opening the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint. When the facility first opened, it had 61 employees. Three years later the Mint began refining gold by electrolysis in its assay department. This method proved to be too time-consuming and in 1915 the Mint introduced a new chlorination process developed in Australia to reduce processing times and increase the Mint’s gold refining capacity. Since then, the Mint’s refinery has undergone several changes and expansions. Today’s process is a combination of Chlorination and Electrolysis.
Over the years the Mint had used different processes to recover and sell the silver often found in unrefined gold, but, in 2006, the Mint opened a new, state-of-the-art silver refinery that finally allowed it to refine silver. The silver is first upgraded in an oxygen converter and then refined by electrolysis.
It wasn’t until the Great Depression that the Ottawa Mint negotiated its independence from the British Royal Mint. In 1931, the Ottawa Mint was renamed the Royal Canadian Mint and began reporting solely to the Department of Finance. Although the Mint continued to rely on the Royal Mint to produce the master tools required for the creation of its punches and dies, the Mint was finally under Canadian control. In 1969, the Government of Canada reorganized the Mint as a Crown corporation
Crown corporations of Canada
Canadian Crown corporations are enterprises owned by the federal government of Canada , one of Canada's provincial governments or one of the territorial governments. Crown corporations have a long standing presence in the country and have been instrumental in the formation of the state...
. As such, the Mint was no longer a branch of the Department of Finance. It would operate like a corporation with its own Board of Directors and increased decision-making powers.
The Mint’s facility in Ottawa is currently responsible for producing collector and commemorative coins, bullion in the form of coins, bars, wafers and grain, medals and medallions. This is also where the master tooling is done to create the dies that strike coin designs for both circulation and commemorative issues. The Mint's gold and silver refineries and assay labs are also located in Ottawa, as is a full-time Advanced Engineering Research team dedicated to R+D projects.
The last surviving member of the Mint’s original staff was Owen Toller.[5] He started in the Mint as a Junior Clerk and retired as an Administrative Officer. He retired after 45 years of service on January 6, 1953. Mr. Toller died in November 1987 at the age of 102.
Winnipeg facility
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
. It was finally recognized that the Mint required an additional facility.
In 1963 and 1964, the government discussed the possibility of building a new facility, which would be functional within two years. Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
suggested building the facility in Elliot Lake, Ontario. A 1968 study indicated that the Ottawa Mint facility was truly antiquated. When the Royal Canadian Mint became a Crown Corporation in 1969, many believed that a decision would be reached.[7] But although funds had been allocated for a new facility, no real planning had begun. Emphasis was made on finding space in Ottawa. It was decided that the Royal Canadian Mint would keep the historic building but have a new facility for the manufacturing of circulation coins.
The federal government of the time, led by Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, decided to decentralize many public services. The result was a claim for restitution from the province of Manitoba, complaining about its loss of many military bases. In February 1970, Supply and Services Minister James Richardson, the Minister responsible for the Mint, proposed the possibility of a new facility in Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
.
This proposal was cause for debate because it was legally stipulated that the Mint was unlike any other government operation and that money should be produced in Canada’s capital region. Another point of tension was that the Cabinet Minister was from Winnipeg. Plants that are over 1,000 miles apart would endure communication and distribution difficulties. A study had shown that the division had merit because raw materials could be purchased from a supplier in Alberta, rather than a competitor outside of Canada. Eventually, it was agreed upon in December 1971 that the Mint would build a facility in Winnipeg. The land was purchased in 1972 and construction began at the end of the year.
The new facility was completely different in appearance from the facility in Ottawa. Architect Étienne Gaboury
Étienne Gaboury
Étienne Gaboury, CM is a Canadian architect from Winnipeg, Manitoba....
designed a striking triangular building that rises up dramatically from the surrounding prairie. (Note: E. Gaboury was Design Architect; Number Ten Architectural Group was Project Architect.) The Mint facility in Winnipeg was officially opened in 1976. The Winnipeg branch of the Royal Canadian Mint allowed the Ottawa facility to concentrate solely on collector coins while Winnipeg would produce the entire supply of circulation and foreign coins.
The Winnipeg facility is also responsible for producing the circulation currency of other nations. Since opening its doors in 1976, the Mint’s Winnipeg facility has produced coinage for over 70 countries: centavos for Cuba, kroner for Norway, fils for Yemen, pesos for Colombia, kroner for Iceland, baht for Thailand, and a thousand-dollar coin for Hong Kong. Other client nations include Barbados, New Zealand and Uganda.
The Ottawa facility is open to the public for guided tours daily, seven days a week, while its counterpart in Winnipeg is open on weekdays only, with the exception of the peak Victoria Day to Labour Day tourist season. Up-to-date tour schedules are available by visiting www.mint.ca. Reservations are recommended, especially for large groups. Tour prices range depending on age, group and day of week. A great variety of the mint's collector products are also available for sale.
Executive and Board of Directors
The Royal Canadian Mint is a Crown Corporation wholly owned by the Government of Canada, and operates under the Royal Canadian Mint Act. In serving the public’s interest, a Crown Corporation has greater managerial independence than other government entities, meaning that it may operate in a commercial manner. Like private sector companies, the Mint has a Board of Directors composed of a chairman, the President and CEO of the Mint and eight other directors.Traditionally, the President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint is known as the Master of the Mint. The current president is Ian Bennett
Ian Bennett (Royal Canadian Mint President)
Ian E. Bennett is the current Master of the Royal Canadian Mint . He held this position since June 12, 2006 and his mandate has been extended to 2014. A distinguished federal public servant, Mr. Bennett has held several positions within the Department of Finance including Deputy Minister from...
(appointed in 2006), and the Chairman of the Board is James B. Love. In descending chronological order, the individuals who have served as the Mint’s Master Engraver are: Cosme Saffioti, Ago Aarand, Walter Ott, Patrick Brindley, Myron Cook, and Thomas Shingles
Thomas Shingles
Thomas Shingles was the Master Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint from 1943 until his retirement in 1965; he first began work at the Mint in 1939...
.
The government department responsible for the Royal Canadian Mint is the Department of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. There are currently 10 members of the Mint’s Board of Directors, and 12 members on its Executive Team. The Royal Canadian Mint has four lines of business: Bullion and Refinery Service, Canadian Circulation, Foreign Business, and Numismatics.
A listing of all the Masters of the Mint is as follows:
| Name | Term |
|---|---|
| James Bonar James Bonar James Bonar was a Scottish civil servant, political economist and historian of economic thought. He was born in Perth but brought up, from the age of four, in Glasgow where his father was a Church of Scotland Minister... |
1908–1919 |
| Arthur H.W. Cleave | 1919–1925 |
| John Honeyford Campbell | 1925–1937 |
| Henry Edward Ewart | 1938–1944 |
| Alfred Percy Williams | 1946–1947 (acting) |
| Walter Clifton Ronson | 1947–1953 |
| Alfred Percy Williams | 1954–1959 |
| Norval Alexander Parker | 1959–1968 |
| E.F. Brown | 1968–1970 (acting) |
| Gordon Ward Hunter | 1970–1975 |
| Yvon Gariepy Yvon Gariepy Yvon Gariepy was the President of the Royal Canadian Mint from 1975 to 1981. In later years, he worked for Canada Post. Mr. Gariepy was a professional member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec, Professional Corporation of Urbanists of Quebec, Canadian Institute of Planners and the Institute of... |
1975–1981 |
| D.M. Cudahy | 1981–1982 (acting) |
| James C. Corkery | 1982–1986 |
| M.A.J. Lafontaine | 1986–1993 |
| M.R. Hubbard | 1993–1994 |
| Danielle Wetherup Danielle Wetherup Danielle Wetherup was President of the Royal Canadian Mint from October 31, 1994 to December 20, 2002. She was the second woman to be named Master of the Mint. Her predecessor, Ruth Hubbard, was the first woman to be appointed Master of the Mint. At the time of the appointment, Wetherup was 53... |
1994–2002 |
| Emmanuel Triassi | 2002–2003 (acting) |
| David C. Dingwall David Dingwall David Charles Dingwall, PC is a former Canadian Cabinet minister and civil servant.A lawyer by training, Dingwall was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1980 Canadian federal election as the Liberal Member of Parliament for Cape Breton—East Richmond in Nova Scotia... |
2003–2005 |
| Marguerite Nadeau Marguerite Nadeau Marguerite Nadeau was Master of the Royal Canadian Mint from October 3, 2005, to June 11, 2006. Following the resignation of David Dingwall, the Royal Canadian Mint Board of Directors announced that Marguerite Nadeau would serve as interim President and CEO for a period of 60 days... |
2005–2006 (acting) |
| Ian Bennett Ian Bennett (Royal Canadian Mint President) Ian E. Bennett is the current Master of the Royal Canadian Mint . He held this position since June 12, 2006 and his mandate has been extended to 2014. A distinguished federal public servant, Mr. Bennett has held several positions within the Department of Finance including Deputy Minister from... |
2006— |
A listing of all the Mint's current Board of Directors is as follows:
| Name | Year Appointed |
|---|---|
| Ghislain Harvey Ghislain Harvey Ghislain Harvey was a member of the Quebec Provincial Parliament from 1973 to 1976. In 1973, Harvey was a candidate for the Liberal Party of Quebec in Dubuc and defeated Parti Québécois candidate André Desgagné and Union Nationale incumbent Roch Boivin... |
2003 |
| Keith Meagher | 2005 |
| Ian Bennett Ian Bennett (Royal Canadian Mint President) Ian E. Bennett is the current Master of the Royal Canadian Mint . He held this position since June 12, 2006 and his mandate has been extended to 2014. A distinguished federal public servant, Mr. Bennett has held several positions within the Department of Finance including Deputy Minister from... |
2006 |
| Susan Dujmovic | 2006 |
| James B. Love (Chairman) | 2006 |
| Claude Bennett Claude Bennett Claude Frederick Bennett is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1987, and was a cabinet minister in the governments of Bill Davis and Frank Miller. Bennett was a member of the Progressive Conservative Party.Bennett was born in... |
2007 |
| Kirk MacRae | 2007 |
| Carman Joynt | 2007 |
| Bonnie Staples-Lyon | 2008 |
| John Bell K. | 2009 |
Bullion Products and Refinery
The Mint produces and markets a family of high purity gold, silver, palladium and platinum Maple Leaf bullion coins, wafers and bars for the investment market as well as gold and silver granules for the jewellery industry and industrial applications. The Mint also provides Canadian and foreign customers with gold and silver processing, including refining, assaying and secure storage.Additionally, the Royal Canadian Mint operates a technically advanced refinery in which it refines precious metals from a variety of sources including primary producers, industry, recyclers and financial institutions. The Mint refines raw gold to 995 fine through the Miller chlorination process. The gold is then cast into anodes which are purified to 9999 fine using the Wohlwill electrolytic process.
In May 2007, the Mint produced the world’s first and only 99.999% pure gold Maple Leaf Bullion (GML) coins. Offered in limited-edition one ounce gold bullion coins, three series of these special GML coins were produced (2007, 2008, 2009) in addition to the 99.99% pure GML coin, which is produced on demand. A 100 kilo version of the 99.999% pure GML coin was produced as a promotional tool and was later sold as a product when interested buyers came forward.
Canadian Circulation
The Mint’s core mandate is to produce and manage the distribution of Canada’s circulation coinage and provide advice to the Minister of Finance on all matters related to coinage.Recently, up to two billion Canadian circulation coins are struck each year at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg. While the effigy of the reigning monarch has appeared on every Canadian coin produced by the Mint since 1908, reverse designs have changed considerably over the years. The Mint often introduces new commemorative designs which celebrate Canada’s history, culture and values.
With the exception of the one- and two-dollar circulation coins, all of Canada’s circulation coins are produced using the Mint’s patented multi-ply plated steel technology.
Foreign Circulation Coins
Many foreign countries have had coinage struck at the Royal Canadian Mint, including circulation coins, numismatic coins, and ready-to-strike blanks. In 1970, Master of the Mint, Gordon Ward Hunter relaunched the Foreign Circulation division. A contract for SingaporeSingapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
was won in January 1970, to produce six million rimmed blanks in a copper nickel alloy. This was their first export contract since a contract for the Dominican Republic 32 years earlier. The second contract came in April 1970 with the Central Bank of Brazil. The RCM produced 84 million blanks for the 50 centavo piece. In August 1971, the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
placed an order for 2 million five fil pieces. This was followed by an order from Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
for 2.5 million one crown pieces.
In October 1971, the Bank of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
asked the RCM to produce a commemorative ten dollar coin in sterling silver, and a twenty dollar gold coin of proof quality. Also in 1971, the RCM made coins for the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Iran, and the Isle of Man. An order for 100 million general circulation five centime and ten centimo coins for Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
was received as well. By 1973, orders totaled sixty five million coins, and seventy million blanks. By 1974, the Ottawa facility produced a total of 1.2 billion coins (foreign and domestic), a facility record.
Part of the Winnipeg Mint's legacy is its role in producing the circulation currency of other nations. 50 million units of the 20¢ Australian coin featuring a platypus were minted in 1981. These have included centavos for Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, kroner for Norway, fils for Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, pesos for Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, kroner for Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, rupiah for Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, baht for Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, and a thousand-dollar coin for Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Other client nations include Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
.
More recently, the Mint has produced coins for a variety of other countries such as New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
In 2005, the Mint was awarded a contract valued at US $1.2 million to produce 50 million Toea coins for Papua New Guinea. The circulation coins were produced in denominations of 5 Toea, 10 Toea and 20 Toea, and were manufactured at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg.
In 2008, the Mint produced over three million coloured 50 Toea coins for Papua New Guinea. These were the world’s first coloured coins to circulate outside of Canada. In addition to adding a painted design to more than three million coins, the Mint was required to identically orient the design on every coin. To accomplish this, the Mint, in collaboration with Canadian robotic equipment manufacturer PharmaCos Machinery, developed its own robotic arm to “pick and place” each coin on the painting line, creating a new technical capability unique to the Royal Canadian Mint.
The Mint has also supplied 230 million low denomination coins to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand in 2006. The Reserve Bank chose to reduce the size of its existing 50-, 20- and 10-cent coins and manufacture them using the Mint’s multi-ply plating technology.
The customers have included governments, central banks, and treasuries. In 2005 alone, the RCM manufactured 1.062 billion coins and blanks for 14 countries. From 1980 to 2005, the RCM has manufactured approximately 52 billion coins for 62 countries. These coins are manufactured at the Royal Canadian Mint's facility in Winnipeg.
The Mint produces circulation and numismatic coins, ready-to-strike blanks, medals, medallions and tokens for customers around the world. They also offer dies, die coatings, master punches and tooling, plus roll and wrap and other coin packaging. The Mint has the capacity to produce over 2 billion circulation coins or blanks per year for foreign governments.
Numismatic Coins
The Mint makes collector coins and related products for collectors and enthusiasts in Canada and all over the world. Several of these coins have earned international industry awards and in 2010, the Mint sold out the entire mintage of a record 25 collector coins.Made of base and precious metals, several of the Mint’s numismatic coins are enhanced by special technologies including holograms, enameling, lasering and embedded crystals. The Mint also produces medals, medallions and tokens as part of this business line.
The Mint produces a great number of military decorations for the Department of National Defence including: the Sacrifice Medal, the Canadian Decoration and Clasp, the General Campaign Star, the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Bars, the General Service Medal, the Special Service Medal, the Operational Service Medal, the Memorial Cross and the Canadian Victoria Cross. It also produces military decorations for Veterans Affairs Canada, as well as long-service medals for the RCMP and artistic achievement awards for the Governor General of Canada.
The Mint is also proud to have produced the athlete medals of the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and, most recently, the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Mint produced 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals at their headquarters in Ottawa for the 2010 Winter Games.
Bullion Coins
In 1979, the Mint began producing its own branded bullion coins, which feature a Maple Leaf on the reverse. Since 1979, the fineness of the gold used to strike to the Gold Maple Leaf (GML) coins has increased from .999 to .9999, and, finally, to .99999 (for a special series from 2007-2009). In addition, GMLs are produced in fractional sizes: 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, 1/15 ounce, 1/20 ounce, 1/25 ounce, and in sets that combine some or all of these weights. Special edition designs have commemorated the tenth anniversary of the GML (1989), the 125th anniversary of the RCMP (1997) and the 25th anniversary of the GML (1994). A three-coin set was released to commemorate the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games (2008-2010) and a fractional GML set was issued in 2011 to commemorate the centennial of the Mint’s gold refinery. Renowned for its unrivalled purity, the Mint’s Gold Maple Leaf remains one of the world’s most popular bullion coins.SML
The Royal Canadian Mint’s Silver Maple Leaf (SML) was first issued in 1988 and featured the same design as the Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin. These coins are available to investors in 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, and 1/20 ounce sizes.In 2004-05, the coins were sold in sets of four coins that featured two wildlife species: the Arctic Fox (2004), and the Canada Lynx (2005). Each coin was of a different value and depicted the animals in a separate pose. Colour and selective gold plating have also been applied to special issues of SML. Holograms have proved popular applications, having been featured on SML coins in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005.
In 2010, the Mint introduced a new series of silver 9999 fine one-ounce bullion coins featuring Canadian wildlife. The first coin, launched in late 2010, depicts a wolf, while the second features a grizzly bear. The third design, depicting a cougar, is set to be released on Saturday, September 24th, 2011 for public sales.
Platinum and Palladium Maple Leafs
While the Silver and Gold Maple Leafs have proved endearingly popular among investors and bullion collectors, the Mint has also produced limited numbers of Platinum and Palladium Maple Leaf coins. From 2005 to 2009, Palladium Maple Leaf coins were offered in one ounce coins of .9995 fineness.Platinum Maple Leafs were struck in 1 ounce, ½ ounce, ¼ ounce, 1/10 ounce, 1/15 ounce, and 1/20 ounce weights, between 1988-1999 and again in 2009. In addition, the Platinum Maple Leafs were sold in special issue sets in 1989 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the GML, and in 2002 as a five-coin set featuring holograms. In 1999, the coins featured the Polar Bear design appearing on the inner ring of the two-dollar circulation coin.
V nickel
World War II saw low mintages of most coins, as the metals (especially copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
and nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
) were needed for the war effort. The composition of the 5¢ coin was changed to tombac
Tombac
Tombac, as spelled in French, or Tombak is a brass alloy with high copper content and 5-20% zinc content. Tin, lead or arsenic may be added for colouration.It is a cheap malleable alloy mainly used for medals, ornament, decoration and some munitions....
in 1942; and the design was changed to a V for Victory in 1943. The composition was changed again to nickel-chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
-plated steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
in 1944.
The concept for the V design came from Winston Churchill's famous V sign, and the V denomination mark on the US 5¢ pieces of 1883–1912. A novel feature was an inscription of Morse code
Morse code
Morse code is a method of transmitting textual information as a series of on-off tones, lights, or clicks that can be directly understood by a skilled listener or observer without special equipment...
on the coin. This International Code message meant "We Win When We Work Willingly" and was placed along the rim on the reverse instead of denticles. The regular reverse and composition were resumed in 1946. Chromium-plated steel was again used for the 5¢ coin from 1951 to 1953 during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, but the reverse was unchanged.
Centennial of Confederation
In 1967, the mint introduced a series of commemorative coins in honour of the Canadian centennialCanadian Centennial
The Canadian Centennial was a year long celebration held in 1967 when Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. Celebrations occurred throughout the year but culminated on Dominion Day, July 1. 1967 coins were different from previous years' issues, with animals on each...
. Designed by Alex Colville
Alex Colville
David Alexander Colville, is a Canadian painter.Colville's family moved from Toronto to Amherst, Nova Scotia in 1929. He attended Mount Allison University from 1938-1942, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Colville married Rhoda Wright that year and enlisted in the Canadian Army under the...
, every coin produced that year featured a creature that is native to Canada: a rock dove on the 1¢ coin, a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
on the 5¢ coin, a mackerel
Mackerel
Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of fish, mostly, but not exclusively, from the family Scombridae. They may be found in all tropical and temperate seas. Most live offshore in the oceanic environment but a few, like the Spanish mackerel , enter bays and can be...
on the 10¢ coin, a lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...
on the 25¢ coin, a howling wolf on the 50¢ coin, and a Canada goose
Canada Goose
The Canada Goose is a wild goose belonging to the genus Branta, which is native to arctic and temperate regions of North America, having a black head and neck, white patches on the face, and a brownish-gray body....
on the dollar. A commemorative gold $20 coin was also struck for collectors' sets, with a coat of arms on the reverse. It is worth noting that the Royal Canadian Mint actually wanted to commemorate Canada's 60th anniversary in 1927 with variant coin designs.
RCMP
For 1973, the usual 25¢ coin reverse depicting a caribou was replaced with a Royal Canadian Mounted PoliceRoyal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
officer astride a horse, to celebrate the centennial of the founding of the North-West Mounted Police (now the RCMP).
In 2007, the Mint also released a 75-dollar coloured gold coin featuring RCMP officers astride their horses, as part of an extensive program of collector coins celebrating the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. This coin, designed by Cecily Mok, is composed of 58.33% gold and 41.67% silver.
The Mint has also issued two bullion coins in celebration of the RCMP. The first is a 1997 1 ounce gold coin, which was produced for the 125th anniversary of the RCMP. The second is a 2010 1/25 ounce gold coin and was designed by Janet Griffin-Scott.
"Loonie" and "toonie"
The major change to Canadian coinage in the 1980s was the introduction of a circulating $1 coin, widely known as the loonie because of the common loon gracing its reverse. A voyageurVoyageurs
The Voyageurs were the persons who engaged in the transportation of furs by canoe during the fur trade era. Voyageur is a French word which literally translates to "traveler"...
canoe had been planned initially, but the master reverse die was lost in shipment between Ottawa and Winnipeg, so a new design was necessary. This coin was introduced in 1987, replacing the $1 banknote
Withdrawn Canadian banknotes
Among Canadian currency, only five different banknotes are currently printed. Smaller denominations have been replaced by coins, and larger ones are felt to be no longer required in an era of electronic transmission of most large transactions...
completely beginning in February 1989. In 1996, a $2 circulating coin (known widely as the toonie) was introduced, featuring a polar bear on the reverse, and the $2 banknote was withdrawn. The $2 coin was also a first for the mint in that it used a bi-metallic structure – the centre of the coin is bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
-coloured and the circumference is nickel-coloured.
Saskatchewan Roughriders
In September 2010, the Mint released 3 million one-dollar circulation coins in celebrated of the Saskatchewan RoughridersSaskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
’ centennial. This coin’s reverse is engraved with the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ logo and a stylized ‘100’ framed by the dates 1910 and 2010.
Foreign Coins
In October 1971, the Bank of JamaicaJamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
asked the RCM to produce a commemorative ten dollar coin in silver, and a twenty dollar gold coin of proof quality. Also in 1971, the RCM made coins for the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Iran, and the Isle of Man. An order for 100 million general circulation five centime and ten centimo coins for Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
was received as well. By 1973, orders totaled sixty five million coins, and seventy million blanks. By 1974, the Ottawa facility produced a total of 1.2 billion coins (foreign and domestic), a facility record.
Two years later, the Monetary and Foreign Exchange Authority of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
commissioned the Royal Canadian Mint to create a commemorative coin to recognize the transfer of the Macau region to the People’s Republic of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The coin is silver and featured a gold cameo. The face value is 100 patacas and had a diameter of 37.97mm and a guaranteed weight of at least 1 troy ounce (31.1034768 grams), while most 1 oz silver R.C.M. coins weigh 31.3 grams. The Royal Canadian Mint item number is 644309 and the issue price is $102. The coin features a Portuguese ship and a Chinese barque sharing coastal waters. The historic Ma Gao Temple (Pagoda de Barra) appears in the cameo.
In 2009, the Mint produced coins and blanks for 18 countries, including the Decimo de balboa (10-cent coin) for Panama.
Numismatic Coins
In 2006, the Royal Canadian Mint issued the $50 Four Seasons 5 ounce 0.9999 silver coin. This was the first 5oz pure silver coin issued by the mint, and had a limited mintage of only 2,000 coins worldwide. High-grade examples of this coin fetch $1500 to $5000 at auction. Demand for the coin has been unprecedented, and it was the lowest mintage 0.9999 silver coin ever produced by the Royal Canadian Mint until the 2009 release of "Surviving the Flood", a 1 kilo 0.9999 silver coin which has a worldwide mintage of only 1500.On October 19, 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint issued ten new collector coins, including a 25¢ coin minted to commemorate the 60th wedding anniversary of Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, Queen of Canada, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
; and a $15 sterling silver coin bearing the effigy of Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
, the first from the series of five coins illustrating the effigies of the previous Canadian monarchs.
Toronto Transit Commission Tokens
From 1954 to 2006, the Mint supplied the Toronto Transit CommissionToronto Transit Commission
-Island Ferry:The ferry service to the Toronto Islands was operated by the TTC from 1927 until 1962, when it was transferred to the Metro Parks and Culture department. Since 1998, the ferry service is run by Toronto Parks and Recreation.-Gray Coach:...
with 24 million tokens. These tokens were taken out of service in 2007 for official use. The lightweight token was replaced due to the ease in duplicating counterfeit versions.
Canadian Tire
In October 2009, the Mint produced trade dollars for Canadian Tire which temporarily replaced their regular one-dollar coupons. The initiative called for the production of 2.5 million nickel-plated steel tokens, as well as 9,000 brass-plated steel tokens. As part of the limited-time offer, the trade dollars were distributed in 475 stores nationwide.Notable medallions
- In 1983, the RCM issued a medallion to commemorate Prince Charles and Lady Diana SpencerDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
. The composition of the medal is 50% pure silver and has a diameter of 36 mm. The coin had a production limit of 100,000 and its issue price was $24.50. - The RCM created a medallion to honour Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. The medal features the word GracelandGracelandGraceland is a large white-columned mansion and estate that was home to Elvis Presley in Memphis, Tennessee. It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community about 9 miles from Downtown and less than four miles north of the Mississippi border. It currently serves as...
(above an image of the mansion and its gates) and an actual denomination of $10. The reverse of the medal features an engraving of Elvis, along with the words The Man/The Music/The Legend. The medallion itself is undated, but as the medal is 10 ounces, one would assume that it was made for the 10th anniversary of the singer's death. Additional information can be found in the certificate of authenticity which states that this Elvis Presley medal was authorized by Legendary Coins and struck by the Royal Canadian Mint. The packaging bears a copyright date of 1987, and states that the medal is for commemorative purposes only and is not legal tender. - Medallions honouring hockey legends have also been created. To commemorate Mario LemieuxMario LemieuxMario Lemieux, OC, CQ is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He is acknowledged to be one of the best players of all time. He played 17 seasons as a forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006...
's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, a special set honouring all the inductees was issued in 1997. In 1999, a nickel medallion was issued to honour Wayne GretzkyWayne GretzkyWayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
's retirement. The issue price was $9.99 with a mintage of 50,000.
Multi-Ply Plating
In 2000, the Mint patented an improved, money-saving production method called multi-ply plating technology. Since that year, this technique has been used to produce 5-cent, 10-cent, 25-cent, and 50-cent pieces of Canadian circulation coinage, all of which were previously minted from nearly pure nickel alloys. Similarly, a copper-plated steel blank is now used to produce the one-cent coin.This particular plating process uses a steel core that is electro-magnetically plated with a thin layer of nickel, then a layer of copper and finally another layer of nickel. As a smaller quantity of copper and nickel is required, this process has reduced circulation coin production costs. The composition of plated coins is more durable, thereby reducing the number of damaged coins in circulation and increasing their overall efficiency. By varying the thicknesses of the alternating layers of nickel and copper, the Mint can also create coins with unique electro-magnetic signatures, preventing fraud and producing the most secure circulation coins on the market.
Coloured Coins
In 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint made numismatic history by issuing the world's first coloured circulation coin. The 25-cent coins were produced at the Mint’s facility in Winnipeg and feature a red coloured poppy embedded in the centre of a Maple Leaf over a banner that reads: “Remember / Souvenir.” The obverse features the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The process of adhering colour to the coins surfaces involved the utilization of a high-speed, computer-controlled and precision inkjet process. Approximately 30,000,000 coins went into circulation in October 2004 and were available exclusively at Tim Hortons locations across the country.In 2006, the Mint produced a second colourised circulation coin in support of a future without breast cancer. The 25-cent coin features the iconic pink ribbon symbolizing breast cancer awareness.
More recently, the Mint produced another two 25-cent Poppy circulation coins in 2008 and 2010, both of which feature colourised designs.
In 2008, the Mint also produced 50 Toea colourised coins for Papua New Guinea. These coins are particularly unique because they were manufactured using a robotic mechanism that oriented the coins in such a way as to ensure that all the colourised designs faced the same direction.
This new technology was also used to produce the “Top Three Moments” coins. These 25-cent coins were part of the Mint’s Vancouver 2010 circulation coin program and featured designs celebrating the top three favourite moments in Canadian Winter Games history. The men’s hockey gold medal at Salt Lake City in 2002 was voted by fans as the #1 Canadian Olympic Winter Games Moment of all time – out of 10 moments - in an online contest hosted in 2009 by the Mint and Canada’s Olympic Broadcast Media Consortium. Coming in at #2 was the Canadian women’s hockey gold medal at Salt Lake City 2002, followed by Cindy Klassen at #3 and her five long track speed skating medals at Turin 2006. The coins marking these top three favourite moments were launched into circulation on September 29, 2009, November 17, 2009 and January 5, 2010 respectively.
Physical Vapour Deposition
The Mint succeeded in extending the life of the die beyond that of past chrome-coated dies, with the adaptation of the physical vapour deposition (PVD) technology to coat its dies.Vancouver Olympics
In 2006, the Mint entered a partnership with the Vancouver Olympic Committee and became an Official Supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. As such, the Mint embarked upon an extensive three-year program of circulation and collector coins in honour of both the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.Their Vancouver 2010 coin program included the largest circulation coin series in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games ever conceived by any mint worldwide. It included the production of 17 circulation coins, 15 of which were of the 25-cent denomination and two of which were one-dollar ‘Lucky Loonies.’ The Mint was the first Mint in the world to commemorate the Paralympic Games on a circulation coin. These commemorative 25-cent coins were distributed across the country through participating Petro-Canada and Royal Bank of Canada locations.
Regarding the circulation coins, one of the novelties is that D.G. Regina (dei gratia regina, or "by the grace of God queen") will be removed from the Queen's effigy, making the 25¢ coins the first "godless circulating coins" since the 2001 International Year of the Volunteer 10¢ piece. On the 1911 issue of King George V, the inscription was accidentally left off. The first circulating $1 coin will be dated 2008 but the obverse will be the standard effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt with the wording "ELIZABETH II" and "D.G. REGINA" with the Circle M privy mark.
In addition to its circulation coin program, the Mint introduced a series of 36 collector coins ranging from multi-coloured sterling silver Lucky Loonies to premium gold coins. Most notably, two $2500 Kilo Gold Coins were produced as part of this program, marking the first time the Mint has issued a pure gold coin with a guaranteed weight of one kilogram.
The program included also included the production of two Sterling silver Lucky Loonies in 2008 and 2010, with mintages of 30,000 and 40,000 respectively.
Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Medals
The Mint also produced the athlete medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The Vancouver 2010 gold medals are each made of sterling silver plated with six grams of 24KT gold. The silver medals are sterling silver while the bronze medals are composed mostly of copper. Their composition is governed by International Olympic Committee regulations.Each medal features a piece of one of two contemporary Aboriginal artworks and weighing 500 to 576 grams each. The design appearing on each of the Vancouver 2010 medals is based on two large master artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and raven (Paralympic) by Corrine Hunt, a Canadian artist of Komoyue and Tlingit heritage based in Vancouver, BC. Each medal features a unique, hand-cropped section of her artwork. The Vancouver 2010 medals are also undulating rather than flat. They had to be struck nine times each in order to achieve this unusual shape.
The medals were on display throughout the 2010 Winter Games at the Royal Canadian Mint Pavilion in Vancouver. There, visitors waited in line to see and hold the medals, sometimes for over seven hours. During the Olympics, the Mint Pavilion at the Segal Centre entertained 140,639 visitors, while the medal display at the Vancouver Public Library during the Paralympics saw 30,000 visitors.
With so much interest generated by their Vancouver 2010 program, the Mint opened an additional retail outlet in Vancouver. This store is located at 752 Granville Street, between Georgia and Robson streets.
Award-winning coins
- 1985 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Coin: 1988 Olympic $20 coin, Downhill Skier (Note: Olympic coins in Canada are usually produced three years prior to the event)
- 1986 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Gold Coin, Theme: 450th Anniversary, Jacques Cartier Voyage of Discovery
- 1988 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Silver Coin, Theme: 400th Anniversary, Davis Passage
- 1989 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Silver Coin, Theme: Bicentennial Voyage of Mackenzie River
- 1993 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Gold Coin, Theme: Antique Autos
- 1994 Coin of the Year, Presented by Munchen Magazin, Best Coin, Theme: Anne of Green GablesAnne of Green GablesAnne of Green Gables is a bestselling novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery published in 1908. Set in 1878, it was written as fiction for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book...
- 1996 Coin of the Year, Presented by Munchen Magazin, Best Coin, Theme: 100th Anniversary of Gold found in Klondike
- 1997 Coin of the Singapore International Coin Show, Best Coin, Theme: Haida Contemporative Art
- 1998 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Gold Coin, Theme: Alexander Graham BellAlexander Graham BellAlexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
- 1998 Most Popular Coin, Presented by World Coin News, Most Popular, Theme: Two-dollar coin with Polar Bear Design
- 1999 International Hologram Manufacturers Association and Holography, Category: Excellence in Holographic Production, Theme: 20th Anniversary Gold Bullion Maple Leaf coin
- 2000 Most Popular Coin, Presented by World Coin News, Most Popular, Theme: 125th Anniversary of RCMP
- 2000 Most Technologically Advanced Coin, World Mint Directors Conference 2000, Theme: $20 coin featuring Hologram cameo on the Transportation Series
- 2000 Coin of the Year, Presented by World Coin News, Best Gold, Theme: Mother and Child
- 2002 Coin of the Year, Asia Money Fair, Theme: Asian Symbols Five Blessings Commemorative Set
- 2006 Most Innovative Coin of the Year, World Mint Directors Conference 2006, Theme: Coloured 25¢ Poppy Coin
- 2007 Best New Coin Award, Awards for Excellence in Currency: Presented by the International Association of Currency Affairs
- Category: Best Coin 25-cent coloured circulation coin
- Theme: Creating a Future Without Breast Cancer
- 2007 2007 Coin of the Year Award and 2007 Most Innovative Coin Award, Presented at the 2008 World Money Fair, presented by Krause Publications
- Category:Coin of the Year and Most Innovative Coin Coin: Big and Little Bear Constellations coins
- Theme: Constellation
- 2007 2007 Most Inspirational Coin Award, Presented at the 2008 World Money Fair, presented by Krause Publications
- Category: Most Inspirational Coin
- Coin: Pink Ribbon coin Theme: Ribbon of Hope
- 2010 2010 Excellence in Currency Awards, Presented by IACA
- Category: Best new series
- Coin: Vancouver 2010 Circulation Programme
- 2010 2010 Most Inspirational Coin Award, Presented at the 2010 World Money Fair, presented by Krause Publications
- Category: Most Inspirational Coin
- Coin: Fine Gold Kilo – Towards Confederation
- 2011 2011 Best Silver Coin, Krause Publications 2011 Coin of the Year Awards
- Category: Best Silver Coin
- Coin: 2009 Fine Silver Crystal Snowflake
- 2011 2011 Most Artistic, Krause Publications 2011 Coin of the Year Awards
- Category: Most Artistic
- Coin: 2009 $300 Gold Coin – Summer Moon Mask
Coin markings, including mint marks and privy marks
- A – Used on 2005 palladium test coin to signify the coins were struck from Lot A.
- B – Used on 2005 palladium test coin to signify the coins were struck from Lot B.
- C – Placed on sovereigns produced at the Ottawa branch of the Royal MintRoyal MintThe Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
, between 1908 and 1919. - Dot – In December 1936, King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in favour of his brother, who became King George VI. The problem was that the Royal Mint had been designing the effigy of King Edward VIII, and now a new effigy had to be created. The 1¢, 10¢ and 25¢ pieces in 1937 were struck from dies with a 1936 date on the reverse. To distinguish that these coins were issued in 1937, a Dot Mint Mark was placed on the 1936 dies, beneath the year. These coins fulfilled demand for coins until new coinage tools with the effigy of King George VI were ready. While the 10¢ and 25¢ coins are more common, the 1¢ coins are rare, with about a half-dozen known to exist. The dot after the date on the 1937 5¢ coin is a mint error caused by a chip in the master dies.
- H – Used to identify coins that were struck for Canada by the Birmingham MintBirmingham MintThe Birmingham Mint, a coining mint, originally known as Heaton's Mint or Ralph Heaton & Sons, in Birmingham, England started producing tokens and coins in 1850 as a private enterprise, separate from, but in cooperation with the Royal Mint. Its factory was situated in Icknield Street , on the edge...
, also known as the Heaton Mint, until 1907. - Innukshuk – All circulation coins for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics have the Innukshuk Mint Mark on the obverse of the coin.
- International Polar Year – The obverse of the 2007 International Polar Year $20 numismatic coin has the logo for the International Polar Year on the obverse of the coin.
- Man Becomes Mountain (Symbol of Paralympics) – All circulation coins for the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics have the Paralympic Games logo on the obverse of the coin.
- Maple Leaf – All coins with a Maple Leaf Mint Mark were struck in 1948 due to an emergency with coin toolage. The granting of India's independence resulted in the removal of IND:IMP (meaning Emperor of India) from King George VI's effigy. Due to the demand for circulation coins in 1948, coins for 1948 could not be struck until the new tools were received. The new tools would have the IND:IMP removed from them. In the meanwhile, coins were produced in 1948 with a year of 1947 on them. Referred to as the 1947 Maple Leaf1947 Maple LeafThe 1947 Maple Leaf refers to a set of Canadian coins dated 1947 which bear a tiny maple leaf following the date to denote that they were actually minted in 1948....
, a small Maple Leaf Mint Mark was struck beside 1947 on the reverse of all coins to signify the year of production. - P – From 2001 to 2006, most 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢ coins issued for circulation were struck with a P Mint Mark to represent the Royal Canadian Mint's plating process.
- RCM Logo – At the CNA Convention in July 2006, the RCM unveiled its new privy mark to be used on all circulation and numismatic coinage. The agenda behind the implementation of this new privy mark was to help increase the RCM's image as a brand. The aim of the logo is to educate coin users and coin collectors, respectively, that the RCM is minting Canada's coins. The first circulation coin to have this new mint mark is the 10th anniversary $2 coin. The first numismatic coin to have this new marking is the SnowbirdsSnowbirdsOfficially known as the Royal Canadian Air Force's 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or air show flight demonstration team whose purpose is to "demonstrate the skill, professionalism, and teamwork of Canadian Forces personnel". The squadron is based at...
coin and stamp set. - T/É – In an effort to push the standard of quality higher, the RCM started to experiment with a gold bullion coin that would have a purity of 99.999%. The result was a gold maple leaf test bullion coin with the mint mark of T/É (to signify test/épreuve). The date on the obverse of the coin was 2007 and it had a mintage of 500.
- Teddy bear – When the RCM released its Baby Lullabies and CD Set, a sterling silver $1 coin was included in the set. The $1 coin included a privy mark of a teddy bear.
- W – Used occasionally on specimen sets produced in Winnipeg, starting in 1998.
- W/P – Used on the special edition uncirculated set of 2003. The W mint mark indicates that the coin was produced in Winnipeg and the P indicates that the coins are plated.
2009 revenues
Revenue by segment| Business Line | Revenue (in millions) |
|---|---|
| Canadian Circulation | 185.3 |
| Foreign Coin | 65.0 |
| Cdn. numismatic | 72.3 |
| Bullion and Refinery | 1,700.0 |
Protective Services
Royal Canadian Mint Protective Services employs full time and casual security officers who are responsible for the security and inspection of RCM facilities. They wear a distinctive grey uniform with body armour and carry firearmFirearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
while on duty. These officers are required to re-qualify their CPR and firearm annually. Their duties include:
- Operating X-RayX-rayX-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
machines - Inspection of garbages in High Security Production Area
- CCTV monitoring
- Access ControlAccess controlAccess control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...
- Monitor shipments received and dispatched from RCM facilities
- Security escorts
- Parking management
- EvacuationEmergency evacuationEmergency evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation of a district because of a flood, bombardment or...
s
Recent issues concerning Royal Canadian Mint assets include:
- In 2000, the Royal Canadian Mint lent a series of the new plated 10, 25 and 50 cent issues to the vending industry for testing purposes. These coins were issued with the letter P below the Queen's effigy. Some of these coins were not returned to the RCM by the vendors and it is possible some were sold to collectors at a considerable premium.
- On Tuesday, June 2, 2009, it was reported that the Auditor General of Canada found a discrepancy between the Mint's 2008 financial accounting of its precious metals holdings and the physical stockpile at the plant on Sussex Drive in Ottawa. A review released on December 21, 2009, revealed that all of the misplaced gold was fully accounted for. A previously unaccounted 9,350 ounces was attributed to estimation errors, and a further 1,500 ounces was recovered through an extensive refining of slagSlagSlag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
within the Mint.
Notable firsts
- 1st colour 1999 20th anniversary GML: 5-coin set
- 1st hologram 1999: GML hologram set – 5-coin set
- 1st irregular shaped coin 2006: square sterling silver beaver
- 1st 5 ounce 0.9999 silver coin 2006: Four Seasons $50 commemorative coin
- 1st coloured coin using plasma technology: commemorative $20 plasma coin for the International Polar Year
- 1st million-dollar face-value coin: 100 kg 99.999% pure gold
See also
- Canadian Bank Note CompanyCanadian Bank Note CompanyThe Canadian Bank Note Company is a Canadian security printing company. It is probably best known for being one of two private companies holding contracts with the Bank of Canada to supply it with Canada's paper currency. The company's other clients include private businesses, national and...
, one of two companies responsible for the printing of Canadian banknotes - Giesecke & DevrientGiesecke & DevrientGiesecke & Devrient is a German company headquartered in Munich that provides banknote and securities printing, smart cards, and cash handling systems....
, the German parent company of BA International, the other company responsible for printing Canadian banknotes - List of mints
- Monarchy of Canada
External links
- Royal Canadian Mint's Official Website
- Royal Canadian Mint Act
- Canadian coins value and description
- Royal Canadian Numismatic Association
- Numismatic Network Canada
- Canadian Coin News
- Royal Canadian Mint press release FTP site, [ftp://communications:RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca/] or ftp to ftp.mint.ca username=communications, password=RCM2007, ftp username and password published on the Royal Canadian Mint web site http://www.mint.ca/royalcanadianmintpublic/index.aspx?requestedPath=/en-CA/Home/default.htm on May 4, 2007
- List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
- List of civilian organizations with the prefix "Royal" prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage