Commems Collection Canadian: 2008 Ultra High Relief Poppy Dollar

Here's the second of the Poppy Silver Dollars (SDs) issued by the Royal Canadian Mint (R C M) - the 2008 ultra-high relief (UHR) release. The coin features a similar design to its 2004 cousin - a poppy flower superimposed on a maple leaf with a ribbon below it that includes the bilingual (English/French) inscription "REMEMBER / SOUVENIR". Unique to the 2008 coin is the commemorative inscription at the rim, below the poppy/maple leaf design; it reads "1918 ARMISTICE 2008".

The 2008 SD was issued to mark the 90th anniversary of the 1918 World War I Armistice - agreed to by the Allies and Germany on November 11, 1918. It ended four+ years of fighting, during which over 20 million died. WWI engaged 20+ countries, predominantly in Europe, including France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria and Germany) , but also countries in Asia (e.g., Russia, China, Japan), Africa (e.g., South Africa, German East Africa) and North America (i.e., Canada, United States) plus Australia and New Zealand.

The biggest difference between the 2004 SD and the 2008 release is the UHR strike seen on the 2008 coin. The poppy flower at the center is presented in noticeably higher relief on the 2008 SD. The 2008 Poppy-Armistice SD was the first-ever UHR silver dollar struck by the R C M). It needs to be pointed out that the poppy flower on the 2008 coin is significantly smaller than the one found on the 2004 SD - this helped make the 2008 UHR strike a much easier proposition.

The coin was a Limited Edition (vs. a Special Edition) proof silver dollar struck on a 0.925 fine silver planchet (i.e., sterling silver); the coin has a diameter of 36.15 millimeters (mm) and weighs 30.0 grams - a touch bigger and heavier than the standard relief SD; the Mint used the same size and weight planchet for its UHR SD, The Sun, in 2010. Per the Mint's Annual Reports for 2008 and 2009 (combined), the UHR Poppy SD had total sales of 4,994 units; it had a mintage limit of 5,000. The SD's original issue price was $139.95 CAD.

I remember that the delivery of my order for this 2008 UHR coin happened much more quickly vs. the 2010 UHR SD. The Mint had multiple production issues with the latter which caused the delivery of the 2010 The Sun dollar to slip by many months! I remember calling the R C M multiple times to make sure my order was still in the system and would - eventually - be delivered. It was!



(See my post on the 2004 Poppy dollar to learn more about the significance of the poppy flower depicted on the coin.)


To compare with, or to learn more about, the 2004 Poppy SD, check out:

- 2004 Poppy Dollar

For more posts about Canadian commemorative coins and medals, check out: Read More: Commems Collection