How about a 50-year "look back" in conjunction with the January 2022 coin release?The 1972 silver dollar struck for collectors by the Royal Canadian Mint (R C M) stands out within the non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) 36 mm silver dollar (SD) series that has been ongoing since 1971. It is the only SD that does not feature a commemorative reverse design!
Rather than follow the 1971 SD that commemorated the 100th anniversary of British Columbia joining the Canadian Confederation with another "true" commemorative piece, the R C M issued a SD that featured the familiar voyageur reverse design that was created by Emanuel Hahn for use on Canada's circulating silver dollar; it was introduced on the 1935 SD and was used on all circulation issues except for the commemorative SDs of 1939, 1949, 1958, 1964 and 1967.
1972 Voyageur NCLT Silver Dollar
(Image Credit: Coins and Canada web site, https://www.coinsandcanada.com. Fair use.)The coin's obverse features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II; it was designed by British artist/sculptor Arnold Machin and appeared on the coins of Great Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Rhodesia, beginning, variably by country, in 1964. Emanuel Hahn's famous Voyageurs canoe design - introduced on Canada's coins in 1935 - is presented on the reverse, Patrick Brindley, the R C M's chief engraver (circa 1972) refreshed / strengthened each of the designs and created new models for them.
On the obverse, Brindley added detail to QEII's portrait, especially her hair, to strengthen its overall appearance.
Comparing Brindley's circa-1972 Voyageurs design update to the Voyageur design on previous SDs (1966 and earlier), the most obvious difference is the replacement of the traditional denticles seen at the design's rim with beads a small distance from the rim. The 1972 nickel dollars featuring the Voyageur reverse that were struck for general circulation did not use Brindley's new model and retained the use of denticles until 1977 when they were replaced by rim beads.
At the time, the R C M struck its NCLT silver dollars to order. The 1972 SD was announced on March 24, 1972 and orders were accepted through September 30; an ordering window of six months plus a week. The SD was available for $3.00 CAD and was presented in a plastic frame inserted into a clam-shell case; the coin was not encapsulated.
The coins were double struck to maximize their details; planchets of 0.500 fine silver (balance copper) were used. The final mintage/sales figure for the 1972 silver dollar was 341,598.
Beginning in 1973 and continuing through to the present, each new 36 mm NCLT SD released by the R C M has featured a commemorative design. While some have featured a design used on a previous SD, they have all been issued to commemorate an anniversary and feature, at a minimum, commemorative dates (e.g., the 2017 Colville SD featured "1967-2017", 2010 Limited Edition SD for 75th anniversary of first Canadian SD issued included "1935-2010").
So, the 1972 "not a commemorative" silver dollar stands alone in the R C M's longest-running and most traditional NCLT series.
The 1972 coin is readily available in the market, often in its original clam-shell case - prices are generally reasonable, though high-grade, toned examples can be rather pricey - I've seen asking prices in the hundreds of dollars! Though the coin was placed into a plastic insert, it was not delivered in a protective capsule. To help protect the SD, and keep it in place within the case, the Mint included a small piece of foam in the SD package (covering the obverse). Coins stored with the foam insert in contact with the SD for a long period have often developed toning and "dimpled" surfaces - some more attractive than others. (I've also come across examples for which the foam actually damaged the SD's surface and thus diminished its value for those collectors who recognize the surface issues - unfortunately, not all do.)
Though lower in silver content than previous Voyageur SD's (i.e., those issued for circulation), the 1972 NCLT version remains an excellent way to add the design to one's coin collection.
Posted 01/12/2022 3:00 pm
