Commems Collection Canadian: A Look At Canada's Enameled NCLT Silver Dollars - Part II

Back in August of 2012, I posted about Canada's enameled 36mm silver dollars. Since then, the Royal Canadian Mint ( RCM) has released two additional coins in this subset of commemorative silver dollars so I thought I would post a brief update. My original post can be found here: Canada's Enameled Silver Dollars - Part I

2015 In Flanders Fields Limited Edition Silver Dollar

The 100th anniversary of the writing of In Flanders Fields was celebrated by the RCM in 2015 with eight different coins ranging from base metal 25-cent coins up to a 10-ounce silver coin with a $100 denomination. The now internationally famous poem about the those who make the ultimate sacrifice during war was written by Canadian John McCrae who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Canadian Army serving in France during World War I. He wrote the poem after his close friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, was killed when a shell exploded near him during a German chlorine gas attack. The attack occurred on May 2, 1915 during the Second Battle of Ypres.

The poem was first published in the British magazine Punch on December 8, 1915. It was published without introduction or fanfare - it was simply printed in the lower right corner of page 468. A very simple beginning for a poem that is now recognized and recited internationally.

The silver dollar features a pair of soldiers taking a moment to look upon upon the grave of a fallen friend and soldier and to reflect on the life that was lost. In the background is a large red poppy flower. The flower gets its black and red colouring through the use of enamel. The commemorative reverse design is by Tony Bianco. The obverse of the SD features the Sir E. B. MacKennal portrait of King George V (plus inscriptions) in use on Canada's coinage during World War I rather than the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in use in 2015.



I think the design with its selective use of enameling is outstanding and a terrific tribute to the McCrae and his poem. I also very much liked this RCM's $20 Flanders Fields silver coin:



The limited Edition silver dollar was launched on September 1, 2015. It was struck on a planchet of 0.9999 fine silver as a proof. The SD has a diameter of 36.07 mm and a weight of 23.17 grams. Note: The RCM lists the diameter as 36 mm, but it is actually the standard 36.07 mm.

The coin had a stated maximum mintage of 10,000. Per the RCM's Annual Report for 2015, the coin had sales of 9,870; it is possible that a few more were sold in 2016, but as the RCM ceased publishing mintage statistics for its NCLT coins after 2015 additional sales can't be confirmed. The coin's issue price was $79.95 CAD.

Here's a Flander's Fields stamp panel issued as part of Canada Post's commemoratives for the poem's centennial:




2017 Special Edition Proof Pure Silver Dollar - Our Home and Native Land

The RCM's most recent enameled SD was issued in 2017, it was one of the Mint's many coins to mark the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

The enameled coin was one of three SDs to feature the Our Home and Native Land design; the other two were the regular commemorative silver dollar and the selectively gold-plated version included in the Fine Silver Proof Set. A slightly different version of the design was used for the SD included in the Limited Edition Proof Set that included the coloured versions of the My Canada, My Inspiration circulation coin designs.

The Jamie Desrochers commemorative design presents a map of Canada, angled away from the viewer, in the mid-ground with Canada's flag in the background and a large "150" in the foreground. The "150" is the only design element to be enameled on the coin. In comparison to the design enhancements on the previous five enameled SDs, the 2017 SD design is quite underwhelming.

The mintage limit was set at 10,000; the coin was reported as a "sell-out" by the RCM. It was struck as a proof on a planchet of 0.9999 fine silver with a diameter of 36.07 mm; the weight of the SD is 23.17 grams. The coin's issue price was $69.95 CAD.

Here's the Special Edition 'Our Home and Native Land' SD with its red enamel '150.' (Coin image is press image from RCM.)



There you have it, a colourful and attractive six-coin mini-set to collect within the full 36 mm SD series!