The first Yukon Mint gold coins
This project brings benefits to the local community with the help of Golden Predator’s 3 Aces Project in southeast Yukon.
The first Yukon Mint Gold Coin — the Kaska Keda Gold Coin. — Photo courtesy Yukon Mint
The first Yukon Mint .9999 gold coin was unveiled on May 30, 2018. After much anticipation, these coins are available to the public as of June 21—National Aboriginal Day. Between the unveiling and the date sales officially opened, over half of the coins were already sold.
“We are extremely pleased with the response to the coin announcement,” said Janet Lee-Sheriff, CEO of Golden Predator Mining Corp.
What is a Yukon Mint coin?
A Yukon Mint coin is a trademarked gold coin that is Yukon in almost every aspect. This first batch is refined and minted with gold from Golden Predator’s 3 Aces project in southeast Yukon. The project is a joint effort from many people in the region. The coin’s artwork was designed by Miranda Lane, a Kaska Nation self-taught artist. On the obverse is The True North Moose (Keda). An image of the Klondike Gold Rush Stampeders is printed on the reverse.
The gold is from the bulk sample of the 3 Aces Project, a high-grade gold project. Bulk sampling is a normal part of the process of any gold mine, but Golden Predator had a different idea than the norm of shipping the materials elsewhere. “We wanted to create additional benefits from our program,” Lee-Sheriff said. “So, we built our own processing plant in Watson Lake.”
Similar to how the Royal Canadian Mint started after the Klondike Gold Rush, the Yukon Mint keeps the materials in the region. The plant employs six people in the community.
“We employ people and spend money locally,” said Lee-Sheriff. “We thought that was a better approach than sending the benefits elsewhere.”
Janet Lee-Sheriff, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Predator Mining Corp., is excited about the first Yukon Mint™ gold coins. — Photo courtesy Janet Lee-Sheriff
Yukon Mint coins in high demand
The Yukon Mint will sell 180 one-ounce and 140 0.5-ounce coins with a value of C$990 to $1,850 in their first round in the series. The company has offered a 50/50 profit sharing with the artist’s First Nation for each batch of coins created.
Rob McEwen, CEO and chairman of McEwen Mining Inc., one of Golden Predator’s largest shareholders, purchased the first gold coin from the Yukon Mint before sales officially opened. However, Lee-Sheriff clarified that the Yukon Mint coins are not a Golden Predator coin. They are meant to be representative of the region, not a company piece.
The goal of these coins is to showcase Yukon and bring benefits to its residents. “I was shocked to find out that no one had produced a Yukon Gold coin before that was representative of the territory,” Lee-Sheriff said. The result is a small piece of Yukon in the palm of your hand. “It’s a physical representation of what exploration can lead to,” she said.
A piece of Yukon
Moving forward, Lee-Sheriff hopes to host an annual contest for local Yukon artists to produce a series of coins. “We would like to do this with other First Nations in Yukon and other projects,” she said. “We see an unlimited amount of opportunity to create an ongoing series like what you would see from the Royal Canadian Mint.” Lee-Sheriff hopes to continue to represent the communities and opportunities of the region with the help of local artists.
Place your order for the Yukon Mint coins online.
