We’re in the homestretch to the end of 2023. As the leaves are falling and we start thinking about the holiday season, it’s a great time to check out the latest releases from the Canadian Mint.
And there’s good news for numismatists: This year’s crop yields some particularly stunning coins, ranging from the commemorative to the celebratory, and from Canada’s iconic animals to its extraordinary people. And there’s a few cool and unusual options, too. (UFO fan? The Mint has you covered!)
Here are a few highlights
100th anniversary of the birth of Canadian artist Jean Paul Riopelle
To celebrate the birthday of the globally-renowned Quebec sculptor and painter, the Mint has released several striking coins: a gorgeous pure gold piece and rolls of $2 coins. The design is a representation of Riopelle’s final work, the magnificent 10-metre long fresco L’Hommage à Rosa Luxemburg. Another of his famous works, the bronze sculpture Petit hibou, has been rendered in Extraordinary High Relief (EHR) on a dazzling pure gold coin ($7,499.95) with a mirror-like finish.
[Read our blog: Colourful new coin celebrates Canada’s rich Indigenous cultural heritage]
Hexagon Coin with Crystal-Snowflake
Crafted in the shape of a snow crystal, this is the Mint’s first ever hexagon coin. In the centre of a perfectly etched stellar dendrite (“tree-like”) snowflake sits a clear glittering crystal. If you look closely at the snowflake’s branches, you’ll see that each is slightly different, just like real-life ice crystals. This sparkling $20 pure silver piece is one of four holiday-themed coin options on offer this year. Great for early gift giving!
Canada’s Unexplained Phenomena: The Duncan Incident
This isn’t the Mint’s first coin to commemorate UFOs in Canada — it’s actually the 6th. Crafted from pure silver, this 2023 release marks the unexplained sighting of a spacecraft observed from a West Coast hospital on January 1, 1970. The mysterious incident is reimagined in black light paint technology on a rectangular-shaped 1 oz. pure silver coin. The black light flashlight reveals a more realistic view of the famed flying saucer.
[Read our blog: Crystal Eye of Nunavik: Celebrating a mysterious meteor impact with an interactive coin]
Filigree Bee
With a delicate and intricate design, this $5 fine silver coin provides a vibrant “bees-eye” view of the world. Surrounded by hexagonal filigree, the centre — also hexagonal — has a hologram effect on one side and a golden honey bee, hand-painted in golden enamel, on the reverse. The 2 oz. Filigree Bee comes packaged in a “bee-autiful” presentation box, too.
With over twenty new coins on offer this year, the Mint has something for every collector.
Here is a full list of new releases:
1 oz. Pure Silver Coin – Remembrance Day (mintage: 7,500)
5 oz. Pure Silver Coin – Queen Elizabeth II’s Reign (mintage: 2,250)
$1 Pure Silver Coin – Tribute: W Mint Mark – Loon (mintage: 7,500)
¼ oz. Pure Silver Coin – Lunar Year of the Dragon (2024; mintage: 38,888)
Pure Silver Fractional Set (mintage: 3,000)
100th Anniversary of the Birth of Jean Paul Riopelle (2023)
- Pure Gold Coin (mintage 450)
- Commemorative Collector Keepsake Card (mintage: 50,000)
- $2 Colourized Special Wrap Roll (mintage: 15,000)
- $2 Special Wrap Roll Set (mintage: 10,000)
- Pure Gold EHR Coin – Petit hibou by Jean Paul Riopelle (mintage: 250)
Honouring Elsie MacGill (“Queen of the Hurricanes”):
- Special Wrap Roll Set (mintage: 10,000)
- Commemorative Collector Keepsake Card (mintage: 50,000)
- $1 Colourized Special Wrap Roll (mintage: 15,000)
35th Anniversary of Canada’s Silver Maple Leaf (SML)
- 5 Kilo Pure Silver Coin (mintage: 150)
- $50 Pure Silver Coin (mintage: 2,000)
Unique shapes and textures:
- 2023 25 Francs Fine Silver Coin – Hot Air Balloon (mintage: 1,783)
- 1 oz. Pure Silver Glow-in-the-Dark Coin – Canada’s Unexplained Phenomena: The Duncan Incident (mintage 6,500)
- 2023 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Blue Marble Glow in the Dark (mintage: 999)
- 2023 $5 Fine Silver Coin – Filigree Bee (mintage: 1,999)
- 2023 Puzzle Coin Set – The Celestial Circle (mintage: 1,000)
Great Hunters: Grizzly Bear
- $200 Pure Gold Ultra High Relief Coin (mintage: 575)
- $20 Fine Silver Ultra High Relief Coin (mintage: 6,000
Holiday-themed Coins
- 1 oz. Pure Silver Coin – The Magic of the Season (mintage: 7,500)
- 50-Cent Lenticular Coin – Holiday Sledding (mintage: 30,000)
- $20 Pure Silver Hexagon Coin with Crystal – Snowflake (mintage: 8,500)
- Holiday Five-Coin Gift Card Set
[Read our blog: New Coin Commemorates Canada’s Inspiring “Queen Of The Hurricanes”]
Start your own collection of historic Canadian coins
If you’re interested in starting your own collection of Canadian and international coins, we can help. Century Stamp & Coin has a huge collection of coins and a knowledgeable and experienced team to support you with building your very own coin collection.
