January 28, 2016 – History plays a starring role as the Royal Canadian Mint celebrates a wide range of themes in its first offering of new 2016 collector coins.
The historic ocean liner S.S. Great Eastern, which laid out the first transatlantic telegraph cable to link North America and Europe via Newfoundland and Ireland in 1866, figures prominently in a design by maritime artist Yves Bérubé on all 2016 Silver Dollar products.
Looking back 100 years to February 3, 1916, the fire that destroyed the Centre Block of Canada’s Parliament Buildings but which the Library of Parliament famously survived is dramatically portrayed by artist Tony Bianco on the Mint’s 2016 $100 Gold Coin.
Dominion Sculptor Phil White has created another tribute to Canada’s historic Parliament Buildings by reinterpreting the gargoyle-like carvings adorning their exterior of the Parliament Buildings on a new three-coin, ultra-high relief fine silver series.
All of these new coins are available already. Other products include several new series:
- The selectively-coloured 2016 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Aircraft of the First World War Series: The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E. 5A, designed by David A. Oram (coin 1 of 3)
- The crystal-enhanced 2016 $5 Fine Silver Coin Birthstone Series – February, designed by Three Degrees Creative Group (coin 2 of 12, January launched in December 2015)
- The selectively-coloured 2016 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Salmonids: Atlantic Salmon, designed by Curtis Atwater (coin 1 of 3)
- The 2016 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Reflections of Wildlife – Grizzly Bear, designed by Maurade Barton (coin 1 of 3)
Continuing series and new coins include:
- The 2016 25-Cent Fine Silver Big Coin Series – 25-Cent Coin (Last in a series of 6 coins)
- The double-thick 2016 $25 Fine Silver Piedfort – The Coat of Arms of Canada
- The 2016 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Geometry in Art: The Polar Bear by digital artist Calder Moore (coin 2 of 5)
- The enamel-enhanced 2016 $250 Fine Silver and $2500 Pure Gold Kilo Coins: In The Eyes Of The Spirit Bear, designed by artist Glen Loates
- The glow-in-the-dark 2016 $30 Fine Silver Coin – Northern Lights in the Moonlight, designed by Julius Csotonyi
- The 2016 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Canadian Landscape Series: The Ski Chalet by artist Stephanie Gauvin (coin 3 of 4)
- The 2016 $8 Fine Silver Coin – Dragon Dance, designed by Harvey Chan
- The 2016 Uncirculated Set
- The 2016 Gift Sets, returning with the themes of “Baby”, Wedding” and “Birthday”, with “O Canada” featuring retro-inspired packaging
- The 2016 $10 Fine Silver Coin – Welcome to the World
For more information on these issues go to the Royal Canadian Mint website.