Miscellaneous Modern Canadian Coins

Overview

The Royal Canadian Mint was one of the pioneers in colorizing coins, embedding objects into coins, making holographic coins, and making "fossilized" coins. Starting in 2008, I started to collect a few of the modern coins that it has been putting out, just based on what's struck my fancy. There's no particular collecting goal nor checklist in mind.

Dinosaur "Fossil" Series

2008 Canadian Triceratops 'Fossil' Coin 2009 Canadian Tyrannosaurus Rex 'Fossil' Coin

2010 Canadian Dromaeosaurus 'Fossil' Coin 2010 Canadian Euoplocephalus 'Fossil' Coin

The dinosaur "fossil" series was started in 2007, though I missed the first year. It is a four-year series that features the fossil of a dinosaur that was native to the Canadian region at one time, as evidenced by their fossils. The 2007 coin featured a Parasaurolophus. 2008 was a triceratops skull; 2009 a tyrannosaurus rex, and 2010 a Dromaeosaurus. In late 2009, the Royal Canadian Mint announced that because of all the money they were making the success of the series, it would be extended to a second coin in 2010, Euoplacephalus.

The coin is silver. The "fossil" area was selectively toned (since all silver will tone) to make it look like a fossil. It's a pretty neat effect, and no two coins are identical due to microscopic differences in the striking of the silver and hence how it will tone. My triceratops one didn't turn out too interesting, but there is a very slight rainbow effect on the fossil area of the tyrannosaurus rex coin that I find pretty cool. The proof surfaces are very difficult to photograph due to the high-contrast and rough surfaces over the fossil area, but I try.

Crystal-Embedded Leaf Coins

2008 Canadian Maple Leaf Crystal Coin 2009 Canadian Maple Leaf Crystal Coin 'Autumn's Jewels'

2010 Canadian Maple Leaf Crystal Coin 'Seeds of Beauty' 2011 Canadian Maple Leaf Crystal Coin 'Bigleaf Maple'

This series started in 2008 with a "summer" maple leaf and became a series in 2009 with the addition of an "autumn" coin. 2010 introduced "spring." 2011 continued the series but abanoned switching seasons, going instead for another spring maple leaf, the Bigleaf Maple tree.

The coins feature a colorized leaf/leaves as the main motif dripping a drop of "water" off the tip of the main leaf. The drop is actually a Swarovski crystal, which is a high-end crystal made with high-lead-content glass, and coated with a slight irridescent chemical.

The introduction of the 2009 coin with some distinct differences in the design and manufacturing, though as far as I can tell it was for the better. The colorization on the 2008 looks like it was printed as one would see the comics section of a newspaper - with large, obvious dots of pigment (which you can somewhat make out at the size that I have posted the pictures). In 2009, the color was much more vibrant and also solid, with beautiful gradations that looked much better quality than the 2008 application that looked more like a sticker. Unfortunately, 2010's was somewhat back to the quality of 2008's color, as was 2011's.

Note: The 2008 coin came with a rather nasty scratch below the Queen's bust which I left in for honesty's sake in the photos.