Coins were made for circulation and at the same time, commemoration. Mints usually change coin dies every time a successor ascends the throne. From then, the coins will be redesigned to feature the new ruler’s profile and to fit the year of mintage.
The Royal Canadian Mint released the first Canadian Silver Dollar in 1935 to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The design portrays a voyageur and a native paddling a canoe. The Northern Lights were also featured via faint lines in the background. This dollar was the first official Canadian Silver Dollar, until Mint Reports stated that a 1911 Canadian Silver Dollar existed.
1911 Canadian Dollar was not struck, but there were 3 minted to serve as examples that time. Because of this, the 1911 Canadian Dollar was considered the Holy Grail of Canadian Coins. It was also named “The Emperor of Canadian Coins” in 1960, when B.A. Seaby, a London coin dealer announced its acquisition. The second specimen of this coin was later known to be in possession of the Royal Mint Museum in London. It was on permanent loan to the Bank of Canada Museum in Ottawa.
The obverse side was designed by Sir E. Bertram Mackennal. His initials B.M. can be seen on the truncation of the bust. Unlike other coins, the other side of the coin has a different designer W.J. Blakemore. He borrowed from a design earlier made by L.C. Wyon, the British coin designer. It featured a circle maple leaves around the coin edges, and a crown at the top. The maple leaves were bounded by a ribbon at the other end, opposite the crown. The coin’s reverse side featured the inscription ONE DOLLAR CANADA and the year 1911 below it. The 1911 coin side designed by Mackennal was later used in the 1936 Canadian Dollar.
It is one of the greatest rarities in world coinage history, rivaling the American 1804 Silver Dollars and 1913 Liberty Nickel. The 1911 coin was in auction in 2003, and it fetched a value nearly a million dollars’ worth. The coin was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records during 1960s and 1970s for being the world’s rarest coin.
This coin is an inspiration to coin collectors everywhere. Which is why, if you are into collecting, make sure you get the best deal anywhere you go. Colonial Acres has accompanied many coin collectors in their journey for more than a decade of service. If it’s good quality coins you seek, Colonial Acres Coins is the shop you’re looking for.
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