The Royal Canadian Mint turns heads with "The Bumblebee and the Bloom"

OTTAWA, Ontario, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Canadian Mint has put a new spin on coin manufacturing with the introduction of the 2019 $50 Fine Silver Coin – The Bumblebee and the Bloom. Taking innovation and interaction to a new level, this 5 oz. pure silver coin designed by artist Tony Bianco features a raised, pink gold-plated wild rose around which a yellow gold-plated bee circles the flower as the coin is tilted.  This ingeniously designed and engaging tribute to Alberta's floral emblem is available as of today, at a world-wide mintage of only 1,200.      

The Royal Canadian Mint's 2018 Fine Silver Coin - The Bumblebee and the Bloom

Just in time for the start of a new NHL season, the Mint is offering hockey fans a great new memorabilia collection with a six-coin fine silver coin series celebrating famous Canadian captains of the Original Six™ teams.  Framed on a vertically oriented rectangular coin and rendered in vivid colour photography are the following homegrown hockey stars:  Yvan Cournoyer (Montreal Canadiens); Denis Savard (Chicago Blackhawks); Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings); Ray Bourque (Boston Bruins); Mark Messier (New York Rangers) and Doug Gilmour (Toronto Maple Leafs).

Achieving a thought-provoking impact through innovation is the 2018 $25 Fine Silver Coin - Lest We Forget.  Issued in commemoration of the 100^th anniversary signing of the Armistice, this extreme-curvature coin is struck in the shape of an authentic Canadian Expeditionary Forces 1916 Mark I battle helmet.  With an antique finish, random cracks and dents, the coin exhibits a realistic battle-worn appearance, symbolizing the many trials endured by Canadian soldiers and their allies on their way to victory in the First World War.  That message is conveyed in sharp relief on the helmet's outer brim, which bears the inscriptions "LEST WE FORGET", "N'OUBLIONS JAMAIS" and a 1918-2018 double date.  The inner contours of the coin are engraved with the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the denomination and the country of origin.

Combining a host of technological features is the 2018 $25 Fine Silver Coin – Salmon Run, designed by accomplished artist Emily Damstra.  It is the first silver wafer (rectangular in shape) to feature a combination of ultra-high relief engraving and translucent blue enamel mimicking the waters of the fast running stream from which a hungry grizzly is catching a sockeye salmon.  The obverse of this collectible is equally striking, with the effigy of Her Majesty surrounded by a radiating pattern of engraved maple leaf outlines. 

Also in store for October are:

• The 2018 $200 Pure Gold Coin – Armistice Poppy, designed by Kerri Weller, featuring a central poppy coloured in translucent red enamel;
• The 2018 $10 Fine Silver Coin – Armistice, featuring a poignant illustration of a war-weary soldier by artist Laurie McGaw,
• The 10 oz., selectively gold-plated 2018 $100 Fine Silver Coin – Keepers of Parliament: The Soldier, featuring the artwork of Patrick Bélanger;
• The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin - The Sinking of the SS Princess Sophia, featuring a dramatic depiction of the 1918 loss of "the unknown Titanic of the West Coast" by accomplished maritime artist Yves Bérubé;
• The 2018 $30 Fine Silver Coin – The Great White Shark, designed by Emily Damstra and featuring dark blue rhodium plating surrounding a silvery engraving of the famed oceanic predator;
• The 2018 $50 Fine Silver Coin – Famous Canadian Art: Emily Carr, featuring her celebrated 1931 canvas Big Raven on a 5 oz. pure silver coin, rendered in colour, with a texture emulating brush strokes;
• The 2018 $20 Fine Silver Coin – Canada's Historical Stamps: Arrival of Cartier 1535, replicating the postage stamp issued in commemoration of the 300^th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City;
• The 2019 $30 Fine Silver Coin- A Hundred Blessings of Good Fortune, a fully gold-plated coin designed by Christopher Reid;
• The 2019 $15 Fine Silver Coin –Year of the Pig, the 10^th coin in the Chinese Zodiac, designed by Aries Cheung;
• The 2018 $3 Fine Silver Coin – The Thirteen Teachings from Grandmother Moon: Falling Leaves Moon, designed by Frank Polson;
• The crystal-enhanced 2018 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Birthstones: November, featuring a mandala-inspired topaz design by artist Pandora Young; and,
• The 2018 50-Cent Lenticular Coin –Snowball Fight, designed by Tony Bianco.

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

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.

For further information: Alex Reeves, Senior Advisor, External Communications, Royal Canadian Mint, Tel: (613) 949-5777, reeves@mint.ca

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