Canadian Dollars

The Canadian dollars are highly collectible, and can be a nice addition to any coin collection.  They can offer an inexpensive alternative to the more expensive, in general, United States silver dollars.  The main reason is the silver content for the Voyager Dollar, the large silver dollar coin, is 0.600 ounce, less than the content of silver in a Morgan or Peace dollar.  The oldest dollar coins bear the date of 1935, a relatively new date when compared to U. S. silver dollars, and the image on every Canadian dollar is pleasing to look upon, a plus for collectible coin.

The Voyager Dollar

The Voyager Dollar was issued with a silver content from 1935 through 1972.  It features two men paddling a canoe.  This is a popular coin for collectors.  Some issues include proof as well as business strikes. 

The nickel version of the Voyager Dollar was struck from 1978 through 1987, and included both business strikes and proof strikes. 

As is the custom with Canadian coinage, the effigy of the reigning monarch of Brittan is placed on the obverse of each coin.  This coin has had a run that included part or all of the reigns of four monarchs, three of whom are prominently displayed on the dollar coin.  The three are King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.  King Edward VIII did not make it to the Canadian dollar coin, since he abdicated in less than a year.

The Loon

In 1967, the loon first appeared on a silver dollar with a double date 1867 – 1967 for the Confederation Centennial.  This was the 100 year anniversary of three Canadian provinces coming together, having one split, and emerging as four provinces united. 

The loon has been the subject of the Canadian dollar since 1987, and has undergone several modifications since it first came to be.  It is an eleven-sided coin, and features a swimming loon on the reverse.

In 1997, a Sterling Silver version of the loonie dollar, featuring a loon in flight, was issued to commemorate the ten year anniversary of the loon.

In 2004 and 2005 two additional Sterling silver loonie dollars were issued.  The 2004 issue added the Olympic rings and flame, and the Canadian maple leaf to the reverse.  In 2005 the Lullabies Loonie was issued.

Commemorative Dollars

Canada has honored the Canadian Provinces with special commemorative dollars, as occasions dictated.  In addition, many events of significance, including sports, discoveries, and anniversaries, as well as other significant images, have been commemorated on Canadian Dollars, the earliest bearing the date 1939.  Various metal content has been used, but often some silver was included.  The Mounties, trains, ships, and animals are popular images that have been used. 

It is not necessary to include commemorative dollars in your initial collection, but you may soon want to add them to your collecting desires, and search for them.

One problem with starting with commemorative coins is there are so many of them and they do not show up in change.  You have to look for them, and pay a premium.  You will not get a commemorative coin for one dollar, and the more silver it has the more you might pay.  Metal content is not the only thing that determines price, but it is a significant one at this time.

The Louis Dollar

Gold

The Louis Dollar is physically the smallest of the Canadian Dollar coins, and weighs just 1.500 grams, but can be the most expensive Canadian Dollar.  The Louis Dollar is 0.0482 oz of actual gold, with a purity of 0.9990.  The Louis Dollar was minted only in the three years 2006, 2007, and 2008, with very low mintages.  The 2008 Louis Dollar had only 125 proof coins issued, and no business strikes were minted that year.  As Canadian Dollars go, the Louis Dollar is a great prize, and to have one from any year in your collection is quite an accomplishment.

Today, the Royal Canadian Mint produces coins with a 0.9999 purity.

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Queen's Diaamond Jubilee Medal

The Royal Mint is still making available the beautiful Queen's Jubilee Medals.  Date 2012, the beautiful medal is still available directly from the Royal Mint.  The British flag is framed by the words of the national anthem.  Also, notice the crown placed above the Union Jack.  This is a real keepsake for any appreciate the Queen.

Bugs Bunny Coins at Low Prices

The Royal Canadian Mint has issued a new 20 for 20 silver coin featuring Bugs Bunny.  These coins are sold at face value, and can actually be spent in Canada.  what's more is he mint also ran a free shipping offer with these coins.

These coins are actual currency, and will retain their value of $20.  This issue has a limit of five coins per address, and will be shipped to Canada or to the United States.

What's more is there are other collectible Looney Tunes coins available.  They come in silver and in gold, and in a variety of sizes.  The eight coin subscription should be particularly appealing.  Some are available, and others are awaiting stock.

The link below is a simple way to access the mint.

Coca-Cola Collectible Silver Ingots and “Coins”

Coca-Cola has had several “coin” series, and one major series of mostly ingots or bars.   In addition to the Christmas issues there have been at least two “coin” releases over the years, with a few rounds.  But the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Coca-Cola bottling plants was accompanied by a release, or more accurately, a series of releases that were of major proportions.  Numerous bottling plants participated, and a different ingot or “coin” was minted for each, with some bottling plants having multiple designs.  All Coca-Cola “coins” and ingots are collectible, but some more than others.

“Coins”

Why Use Quotation Marks?

The word coins is in quotation marks simply because most people refer to anything that looks like a coin as a coin.  The technical term for the Coca-Cola issues is round, or perhaps medallion.  A true coin must be issued by an authentic government, be recognized as currency of that government, and have a denomination.  Coca-Cola does not have the authority to mint legal tender, so technically there are no Coca-Cola coins.  However, most people will call the Coca-Cola rounds coins, so it may be clearer to allow this.

The rectangular Coca-Cola issues are properly referred to as ingots or as bars.  And, just in case you might think the shape precludes rectangular bars from being coins there are rectangular coins out there.

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Coca-Cola Collectible Ingots

An Unusual Collectible

These are collected both by coin collectors and Coca-Cola collectors.

The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary

“Coins” and Ingots (or Bars)

In i973, and running through 1988, the Coca-Cola Company had numerous silver ingots minted for its bottling plants, each bottling plant being represented in a given year.  In many years several bottling plants were represented on these ingots.  In a few cases, there were rounds issued. 

These were probably spread out because the various bottling plants did not all start operating at the same time.  It should be pointed out that the Coca-Cola Company started with fountain drinks, and did not operate bottling plants from the inception of the company.

While silver was the metal of choice for most of the ingots and rounds, in some cases bronze, gold plated bronze, silver plated with gold, silver filled, and brass were used.  Honolulu used plastic in red rounds along with the bronze round and the gold plated round, and New Orleans included three different colors of anodized aluminum rounds, along with the silver round using the same design.

Most of these were minted by the World Wide Mint.  The mintage figures vary, from many thousands to as low as one.

Distribution was not standardized.  Some bottling plants sold these as collectibles.  Some bottling plants gave these out as prizes to contests winners.  Some bottling plant presented these to employees.  Finally, some presented these only to plant executives.

As the process continued, the price of silver, the most widely used metal in the minting, varied, and in some years it became quite expensive.

A few silver ingots had minor changes made to the design, so there are varieties. 

Occasionally, one sided ingots show up on eBay, which were probably test strikes.  These go quite high.

The silver ingots are one Troy ounce of 0.999 fine silver each.  They are stamped on the edge, along with the serial number.  The New Orleans round is just nine tenths of an ounce of fine silver.

The only participating bottling plant that has neither a silver ingot, nor a silver round, is Honolulu.

The images on these are fantastic, and many portray the first bottling plant from the area, or another nostalgic scene of the area.

100th and 125th Anniversary Issues

Bronze Medallions

In 1988, while the 75^th anniversary of the bottling plants was coming to a close, the Coca-Cola 100^th anniversary bronze medallion was issued.  Silver was probably not an alternative, due to the prices.  The apparent discrepancy in the years is explained in that this medallion was issued in celebration of the company reaching the one hundred year milestone, while the 75^th anniversary issues celebrated bottling plants reaching the seventy-fifth year milestone.  Remember, Coca-Cola was a fountain drink before it was ever bottled.

 I have just become aware of a 125^th anniversary medallion.  

 Finding Information

I once looked in a Coca-Cola collectors guide, and could find nothing on the 75^th anniversary set of ingots and rounds.  It was clear these would appeal to both coin collectors and Coca-Cola collectors.  Slowly, the pieces fell into place, and a list began to take shape, but there was always the concern that a rare one was not in the list.  I saw people offer complete sets of the silver ingots for sale, and would check to see if the list had an omission.  It was apparent the offering might be close to complete, but had an omission or two.   Eventually, I found a book, nicely done, by Thomas A. Mock, and highly recommend it.   He has much more than I am writing here, including a complete list, mintage details, date of issue, images of both sides, initial prices, and how the particular ingot or round was first released.  It is obvious he did a lot of work in compiling this information.   If you want to get past what is said here I recommend you find his book, if you can.  It is in the second edition.

The authority on all silver bars is Archie Kidd, and apparently Archie Kidd and Thomas A. Mock worked together to number these ingots and rounds.  Perhaps Archie Kidd’s book would contain information on these as well, I have not checked.  But, it is known that Archie Kidd is aware of the Coca-Cola ingots.

When I search the internet, Black Spaniel Gallery articles pop up.  Imagine looking for more information and finding your own articles.  Not much has been written on this topic by others.

The Potential of Silver Bullion Coins Comes from Multiple Places

Coins are an easy way to accumulate silver.  Silver bullion coins are easily found, and storage problems have long ago been worked out for coin collectors.  And, they can appreciate in value, not just because of the precious metal they contain, but because mints are producing them with designs desired by numismatists, or coin collectors.  So, even if the price of silver goes down, the possibility exist that the value of the coin could go up.

Why not have multiple ways for your bullion to increase in value?

What Size Is Right for You?

Should You Buy Large Coins, Or Small Coins

Bullion coins come in several sizes.  Some mints produce a half ounce coin, as the smaller bullion coin.  The idea is to make the coin more appealing, but the price is usually much too high for a bullion coin.  There is a cost in minting, so when that is applied to a lower value coin it becomes a larger percentage of the cost to make that coin.  So, the advantage is the cost, but the disadvantage is the percentage of the value marked up is high.  The good news is that extra charge can often be passed on, and it is expected.

The most common size of a bullion coin is the one ounce.  In fact, the one ounce is the only size some mints make.  These are well recognized.  The disadvantage is that the mintage numbers for one ounce bullion coins is often high.

Larger sizes of bullion coins can be as small as two ounces, and as large of ten kilograms.  Normally, the ten ounce and larger coins have little appeal to numismatists.  The two and five ounce coins offer an opportunity to reduce the premium initially paid for bullion, and are usually minted in much lower quantities than one ounce coins, making them desirable.

The American Silver Eagle

The Most Popular Silver Bullion in the United States

In 1986, the United States Mint began minting the American Silver Eagle.  This is minted in only the one ounce size.  It uses the image from the Walking Liberty Half Dollar, one of the most popular images from older United states coinage.

There is a bullion version of the America the Beautiful quarters, which is minted as a five ounce coin.

Use One Image, Or Change It

Many Mints, Two Approaches

Some bullion coins are minted using the same image year after year. Others use a different image. Obviously, changing the image annually can be attractive to coin collectors. But, the American Silver Eagle, the Canadian Maple Leaf, the Mexican Libertad, the Austrian Philharmonic, and the Fuji Taku repeat the image over and over.

The Perth Mint of Australia changes the images on its silver bullion annually. The Perth Mint is the mint responsible for Australian bullion, along with some of the commemorative coins. The Royal Australian Mint produces circulation coins and some commemorative coins.

The Perth Mint has been making three series of bullion coins, and now has added a fourth. The silver bullion coins from the Perth Mint include the Kookaburra Series, the Koala Series, and the Lunar Series. To that the Saltwater Crocodile has now been added.

The Perth Mint also produces a wide range of sizes of their silver bullion coins. They produce the half ounce, the one ounce, the two ounce, the five ounce, the ten ounce, the one kilogram, and the ten kilogram sizes of their bullion, but not every size is made for every issue. And, sizes minted in one year, like the two ounce kookaburra, may be discontinued in another year, as it was.

The Chinese Panda coin also changes annually.

And, over time, the British Britannia, a highly desirable coin has changed.







Canadian Maple Leaf

The Four Nines

One of the innovations to come from the Royal Canadian Mint was to mint silver, and gold, bullion coins to a purity of 0.9999, while the rest of the major mints were still producing 0.999 pure coins.  Is this important?  Well, this is an incredibly beautiful coin.  Would it be with a slightly less purity?  I doubt we will know because the Royal Canadian Mint will probably not revert to less pure coins. 

My Choices

I recommend the Britannia, the Australian kookaburra, the American Eagle, and the Maple Leaf as my personal favorites.  And, if you are looking for the larger size coins, consider the American the Beautiful five ounce quarters.

This year we have a new version of the Britannia, the lunar horse.  Should it be called a Britannia since Britannia is not shown?  Well, it s being called a Britannia by the Royal Mint.  Another twist is there is a horse privy mark placed on the edge of some 2014 Britannia coins that do show Britannia.  A privy mark is an honor mark, usually small in nature, that is added to certain coins.  It is very unusual for the privy mark to appear on the edge.

The privy Britannia started with the Year of the Snake.

Stunning New Coin Series, Forests of Canada

The Carolinian Tulip Tree

This beautiful coin has a limited mintage of just 8,500 coins.  It is available individually, or as the first coin of an 8-coin subscription.  This coin is one ounce of fine silver, and comes with a proof finish.  The first coin comes with a wooden box when the subscription is ordered.

Weather Phenomenon Summer Storm Coin

Another beautiful coin from the Royal Canadian Mint.

This fine silver coin glows in the dark.

This is a one Troy ounce fine silver coin, with a proof finish.  It has a low mintage of just 8,000 pieces.  The coin comes with a serialized Certificate of Authenticity.  It is available individually or as a part of a subscription.  This is the first of a four coin series.

The first coin in this series comes with a black light flashlight.

Caring for Old Coins

After writing excessively on coin collecting, and reading numerous posts on a coin forum, I realized that there are two concerns many people with a recently acquired coin collection have and I should address them.  How much is it worth?  What do I do with the coins?  Well, getting the second answer is the more urgent one.  Improper handling or improper storage of a coin can reduce its value.  Once the coins are secure in proper holders, time can be taken to answer the first question.  Until you can get the proper help in storing your coins, keep them immobile in a dry place.

How Can a Person Suddenly Have Rare Coins?

Do People Not Know What They Purchase?

People who buy coins are often numismatists, or coin collectors.  True, every collector had to start somewhere, but obtaining the basic knowledge before buying a very expensive piece is normal.  Collectors do not pay for a very expensive coin, then ask now what?  So, how does it happen that someone with little knowledge in proper handling of coins has some to protect?  People inherit coins, and too often they know nothing about that inheritance.  Too often they do not even realize that they can cause damage, and this can be done either by doing the wrong thing, or by doing nothing.


Coin Protection

Physical and Environmental

Coins can be damaged physically.  Just place a group of coins in a box and drive them around.  The vibrations will cause them to move against each other.  This can cause surface damage.

When the mints shipped silver dollars in bags, the coins often acquired bag marks, scratches caused by other coins. 

The other problem is environmental damage.  Chemicals in the air can attack the metal in a coin.  Copper is particularly easily damaged, but no coin should be subjected to exposure to the air.  Coins need to be stored in air tight holders of some type, and these holders must also offer physical protection.

Proper handling of the coin before it is secured in an air tight container is also important.  Always hold a valuable coin, or one you suspect may be valuable, by the edge.  Placing a finger on the face of the coin can leave a film of oil, which may become apparent by causing damage years later.  And, if an obvious residue is left, cleaning a coin is another problem.  Passing a cloth over it can cause fine lines of damage, and a collector may devalue it because of this.

Never hold the coin in front of you when speaking, or fine droplets of saliva may land on the coin.  This can chemically damage the coin, and the damage may not show up immediately.

Once you have your type of protection selected, put cotton gloves on before grabbing the coin.  This is especially important if you could accidentally touch other coins when plucking one from a group.

The value of the coin should dictate the type of protection selected.  Do not spend more protecting a coin than it is worth.

The best protection is to have the coin slabbed by one of the better slabbing services.  But, this is expensive.  It does offer excellent physical protection in an air tight environment, and also provides the grade of the coin.

Air tight capsules are good, but only if a proper fit can be made.

Mylar 2 X 2s are pieces of cardboard with two Mylar windows that are the right size for the coin.  Choose the size before starting.  Once the coin is inserted in one window, the cardboard is bent so the coin has the other window align with the other side of the coin.  The cardboard is secured, and a reasonably close to air tight fit is accomplished.  The cardboard is square, so it can be easily stored.  Be careful is staples are used, since they can rip the Mylar protecting other coins.

Flips are transparent, soft squares with a flip top that secures the coin.  These are not that air tight.  One version is pages of flips that can fit a binder, making storage easy.

What Do I Recommend?

It Depends on the Purpose

If I sell a coin and need a very short term protection, I would even use a small plastic bag. They are better than nothing. If the coin might spend more time in the bag, check if it is recommended for coins. Some plastic slowly release damaging gases.

Paper is not recommended, except for a brief period, since the acid used in the paper making process can eventually cause damage. Do not place your coins in an envelope and think you have preserved them. Now, acid free paper is available, and can be used.

Flips are easier to handle than 2X2s, but allow air to enter them.

2X2s are inexpensive, and a reasonable solution.

Plastic capsules of the right size are more expensive. If bought in bulk they could cost thirty cents each, in small supply perhaps as much as a dollar. But, capsules are the choice of some major mints for their commemorative coins. I have gotten coins in from the Royal Canadian Mint, the Perth Mint, and the Royal Australian Mint in capsules. If the mints are selecting capsules, what does that tell you? It tells me that is what they expect to do the job. But, others will argue in favor of other types of protection, so you must decide for yourself. I do not consider my opinion necessarily the best.

Of course, slabs are always the preference, but only for the coin is already slabbed.

How Much Are My Coins Worth?

Can I Be Sure?

The best way to answer this question is to say get a book. Some coin books give approximate values of coins by grade. You might also get some idea how to grade the coin, but be careful. Just because you can see the XF details the book tells you to look for, the coin has another side. And, small nicks on the rim can lower the value. Another thing that lowers the value is if the coin was improperly cleaned. So, just because the book indicates a grade of XF, a dealer may call it VF. However, if you think that may be an indicator of a dishonest dealer, get other opinions. Coin shows have a multitude of dealers looking to buy, and you can go from one to another. But, do have an idea of the value before you start.

If a coin has an error, that can enhance the value. How much depends on how prevalent the error is. It is all about supply and demand.

Coins actually change value regularly. Coin books come out around March for the next year, and have taken time to put together, so they come out a little old.

To assist you in finding a coin book we have compiled a page on our website. Our Coin Book Page is easily assessed through this link, and will display quite a variety of books.






Insuring Coins

What your insurance policy covers is determined by what the policy says, so check with your insurance agent.  But, there is a good chance it is not.  You could open, or if you already have one make room in a bank box.  You would seek a rider on your insurance policy.  Or, you could take out a special policy for your coins.  If you elect a rider or a special policy, have a record of what each coin is and include its grade.  Coin values change, and you cannot simply claim that you paid a certain amount.  Include pictures if possible.

Where can you find a special coin policy.  Membership in the American Numismatic Association has the perk that you can buy coin insurance.   Upon joining they send out information.  And, if you enjoy reading articles on coins their publication The Numismatist can make the membership well worth the annual dues.  And, they have a page where you can also purchase supplies on their website.

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Canadian Penny

  





In 2012 the Royal Canadian Mint completed its penny production, and the series officially closed, but the Canadian government did not remove the penny coins already in use.  This could have been good or bad news for coin collectors.  Here was an inexpensive coin that got many into the hobby, and it could be easily found.  Now, the real question was would other Canadian one cent pieced soar in value, and would this coin become scarce.  Coin collecting is, after all, subject to supply and demand.  The penny was simply stopped, but the incredible number of one cent coins in circulation were allowed to remain available to the public.
On the surface it would seem the demand could eventually suffer, since this easy entry into the hobby has closed.  But, is not the nickel still affordable?  Perhaps the number of collectors will remain essentially unaffected.  This is important, because without new collectors the value of collections of other coins could drop, as the current collectors either lose interest or die off.

The Canadian Penny

Prices Remain Low for Many Older Coins

The Canadian one cent piece had its origin as a large coin.  The earliest was struck for circulation in 1858 for Canada the Province, then in 1876 for the Canadian Confederation, during Queen Victoria’s reign.  The effigy of the British monarch remains part of all Canadian coinage today, even though Canada is no longer a British colony. 
Five different monarchs have had their effigy on the penny, starting with Queen Victoria, and followed in order by King Edward VII, King George V, King George VI, and Queen Elizabeth II.  Traditionally, the monarch faces the opposite way, giving the opposite profile, than did the preceding monarch.  Perhaps this is to allow for easy identification.  The one notable exception was King George VI faces left, as does his father, King George V.  Perhaps it is because his brother was King Edward VIII for less than a year before abdicating the throne.  Many countries use the British monarch effigy, and a few rare coins do exist with the effigy of King Edward VIII.  So, whatever way King George VI faced, some countries would not have the reversal of direction.
In 1920 both large and small pennies were minted.  The smaller size remained the standard until the end.
Several different reverse designs have been used, and even the obverse has been updated several times.  Unfortunately, the value of the metal used to make the pennies eventually ended the long history of this coin.  No updating could save the penny from rising costs. 
One reason the Canadian large cent coins have remained affordable is that, unlike coins of the United States, they were minted later and in large enough supplies.  The large cent in United States coinage ended in 1858, a time when Canada was first minting large cents.  Newer circulation coins generally mean fewer would be lost or damaged to such an extent as to be undesirable.  While United States MS-4 coins can price at twenty-five dollars or more, many older Canadian large cent coins can be had for three dollars or less, except for some key and semi-key dates.  Those from later years can be had for less than one dollar.  And, after the cessation of penny production, these low prices held close to what they had been.

A few of the older large cent coins bear the H mint mark from the Heath Mint at Birmingham, England.  This would distinguish those coins from those struck at the Royal Mint, also in England.  Now, the Royal Canadian Mint strikes Canadian coins.  Generally, H mint marks are few on one cent coins, there have been only five large cent coin issues to bear it.

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Large Silver Penny

5 Troy Ounces of 0.9999 Silver

In 2012, the Royal Canadian Mint struck a five Troy ounce 0.9999 fine silver coin to end the penny.  Although it is huge, and has well oven one cent of silver in each coin, the denomination is one cent.  This trivial denomination does allow the coin to be a true coin, not a medallion.  What a grand finale.  

Province Coins

Pennies

The Canadian confederation did not just happen in a day.  Provinces joined over time.  But, provinces needed money.  Province coins do exist in reasonable prices, so collecting them is still possible.  Provinces with one cent coins issued in the past include New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.

1908 - 1998 Large Cent

90th Anniversary

In 1998, the Royal Canadian Mint produced a large cent with the double date 1908 - 1998 celebrating ninety years of minting the Canadian penny.  Older pre-1908 Canadian pennies exist, but were minted in England at either the Royal Mint, no mint mark, or the Heath Mint, mint mark H.  The special issue was made as proof finish Sterling silver coins, and not intended to circulate.  Mintage was limited to 25,000 coins.  An additional 25,000 coins were issued that were not proof coins, and plated with copper over the silver.  These were given an antique finish.  These were just part of the special mintage of coins that celebrated the ninety year milestone of the royal Canadian Mint.

The special double dated penny differs from the 1908 penny in the double date, the metal being silver instead of bronze, and the monarch being Queen Elizabeth II instead of King Edward VII.  By chance both Queen Elizabeth II and King Edward VII face right.  By tradition, each monarch faces the opposite way as the last, but there is no reversal between King George V and King George VI.  The brief reign of King Edward VIII had no penny minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, but the reversal of direction of the effigy left the facing right vacant between the two left facing monarchs.  Had this not happened the effigy would also have been reversed, but the fact is both King Edward VII and Queen Elizabeth II face the same way. 

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Disney Princess Coins

Available in both silver and gold the third coin has now been identified.  Thus far the coins are Cinderella, Aurora, and Ariel, hree of the Disney Princesses.  Sleeping Beauty is Aurora,