The Royal Canadian Mint stands out with new 3D sculptural coins

by Keith Powell
The Royal Canadian Mint's 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin - The Voyageurs.

The Royal Canadian Mint's 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin - The Voyageurs. — Photo courtesy Royal Canadian Mint

Always eager to break new ground in coin design and engineering, the Royal Canadian Mint has shattered the limits of relief with several impressive new coins. Bursting from the imagination of Mint engraver Matt Bowen is the 2018 $250 Fine Silver Coin – The Voyageurs, a spectacular 1 kilo, elliptical-shaped, concave coin struck in ultra-high relief. The dramatic scene of the intrepid trail blazers who fueled early Canada's fur trade, paddling down an untamed river, is rendered in incredible depth and dimension. This stunning keepsake, among many other innovative collectibles, is available now. 

Equally irresistible is the 2018 $100 Fine Silver Sculpture Coin – Superman™ The Last Son of Krypton on which a three-dimensional, gold-plated sculpture of the legendary superhero leaps from its reverse. This 10 oz. fine silver creation is the result of a collaboration between renowned comic book artist Jason Fabok and Mint engraver Mathew Porter.

2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Whale's Tail Soapstone Sculpture

The 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Whale's Tail Soapstone Sculpture. — Photo courtesy Royal Canadian Mint

More examples of exceptional sculptural relief can be found on the 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Whale's Tail Soapstone Sculpture which features Winnipeg artist Dave Zachary's hand-carved design of a humpback whale's flukes jutting out of a shimmering translucent blue enamel layer realistically emulating Canada's North Atlantic waters.  Visible beneath this watery enhancement is Mint engraver Cecily Mok's engraving of the whale's head as the majestic creature dives to the icy depths below.

A similar effect also brings to life the 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Dimensional Nature: Polar Bear, which introduces the world to the Mint's exclusive dimensional paint technique. Artist Tony Bianco's illustration of a cub cautiously testing the waters from the safety of an ice floe while its mother and sibling navigate the blue ocean waters below, vividly simulates the beauty of Arctic wildlife in action.   

The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Dimensional Nature: Polar Bear.

The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Dimensional Nature: Polar Bear. — Photo courtesy Royal Canadian Mint

Other finely crafted coins available this month include:

  • A pair of royal-themed coins, consisting of the 2018 $25 Fine Silver Coin – Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II: The New Queen, featuring a Bonnie Ross portrait in repoussé-inspired ultra-high relief, and the 2018 $10 Pure Gold Coin – 65th Anniversary of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II;
  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – First World War Allied Forces: Great Britain, designed by artist Pandora Young;
  • The 2018 $25 Fine Silver Piedfort – 250th Anniversary of Tecumseh's Birth, featuring a selectively gold-plated portrait of the legendary Shawnee leader by Mary McPherson;
  • The 2018 Fine Silver 4-Coin Set – Historical Currency of Canada: Playing Cards of New France, faithfully crafted in the shape of the cards that circulated as legal tender;
  • The 2018 Canadian Circulation Coin Set – From Far and Wide, featuring a glow-in-the-dark, coloured 50-cent piece designed by Steve McPhee;
  • The 2019 25-Cent Pure Gold Coin– 40th anniversary of the Gold Maple Leaf featuring Walter Ott's classic sugar maple leaf design on a double-dated half-gram coin;
  • The 2019 Fine Silver Maple Leaf Fractional Set – A Bicentennial Celebration, commemorating the 200th anniversary of Queen Victoria's birth;
  • The 2019 Pure Platinum Fractional Set – 30th Anniversary of the Platinum Maple Leaf featuring 1 oz., ½, ¼, ⅟10 and ⅟20 oz. coins designed by Jesse Koreck;
  • The 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Nature's Light Show: Moonlit Tranquility, the second in a series of 5 oz. concave coloured coins with a glow in the dark enhancement of Derek Wicks' artwork;
  • The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Mosaics: Cougar, designed by artist Jori Van Der Linde;
  • The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin - Canadian Coasts: Atlantic Coves, a square-shaped coin whose Maurade Baynton design features iconic symbols of our eastern coastline;
  • The 2019 $15 Fine Silver Coin – Lunar Lotus: Year of the Pig, a scalloped-shaped coin by Three Degrees Creative in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year;
  • The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Corn Moon, designed by Frank Polson;
  • The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: October, featuring a mandala-inspired sapphire design by artist Pandora Young; and
  • The 2018 Holiday Gift Set, featuring a holly and candy cane motif on the reverse of a special one-dollar coin.

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

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001 certified corporation, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca.

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