In my
"A New Collecting Pursuit" post, canadian_coins suggested that I consider the
Royal Canadian Mint's (
RCM) 36 millimeter $10 commemorative coins in addition to the 36 mm $5 commemorative coins I was about to chase. As I already had three of the four $10 coins issued in the 36 mm size, I decided to follow his suggestion and add to my 36 mm collection the one I was missing. So, I began searching for a good deal on the 2005 Year of the Veteran silver $10 commemorative coin and found one for just $26.05 CAD; it was a better price than I expected and too good to pass up! The coin's
RCM issue price was $49.95.
The Government of Canada declared 2005 the Year of the Veteran. During the year, Veteran Affairs Canada sponsored multiple programs to help Canadians "remember, honour, celebrate, and teach [Canada's] youth about the contributions and sacrifices of our veterans." Below are images of the series of posters put out by Veteran Affairs Canada to remind Canadians of all that its veterans have done for them.
As it did for the 2005 Alberta and Saskatchewan centennials, the
RCM released a circulating 25-cent commemorative coin to mark the event. The coin honoured "Canadian veterans and their decades of duty and sacrifice in World Wars I and II, the Korean War and more recent regions of turmoil, such as Afghanistan." (
RCM Annual Report 2005)
The coin's commemorative design pairs the profile of a young Canadian veteran (rear portrait) with that of an older veteran to illustrate that "Bravery and self-sacrifice define Canada's heroes of the past, present and future." (
RCM Annual Report 2005) The design was created by Elaine Goble; it was unveiled at the Royal Military College, Kingston, ON in October, 2005. Unlike it did for the Alberta and Sakatchewan coins, however, the
RCM did not have a contest for the public to vote on potential designs - it commissioned Ms. Goble directly.
A total of 29,390,000 Year of the Veteran 25-cent coins were struck by the
RCM, with the first coins coming off the presses on August 4, 2005. The coins entered circulation on October 17, 2005. A First Day Coin folder was created for the coin; final sales for the FDC totaled 8,361. (Images of the FDC folder are presented below.)
2005 Year of the Veteran Proof $10.00 Silver Coin - Reverse
The $10 silver coin shared its core design with that found on the 25-cent coin, but with the denomination, date and "Canada" inscription moved to the coin's obverse to allow the portraits of the two veterans to be enlarged, relative to the available surface area of the $10 coin, and thus more completely fill its "canvas."
The $10 coin was struck as a proof on a 0.9999 fine silver planchet. The coin has a weight of 25.175 grams and a diameter of 36.07 millimeters; it features a reeded / serrated edge.
The Susanna Blunt portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is on the coin's obverse; the Blunt portrait of QEII began appearing on Canada's coins in 2003.
The maximum mintage for the silver $10 coin was listed by the
RCM as 20,000. Combined sales figures from the
RCM's 2005 and 2006 Annual Reports indicate that the final mintage for the coin was 6,549 (5,877 in 2005 and 672 more in 2006 before it was taken off sale). With sales at just 32.7% of maximum, it is impossible to classify the 2005 Year of the Veteran silver $10 coin as a sales success. The lack of sales is unfortunate considering the nature and importance of the subject matter.
Even with its relatively poor sales, the $10 coin is readily available in today's marketplace and, most often, a collector can find one at a budget-friendly price!
2005 Year of the Veteran 25-Cent First Day Coin Folder - Front Panel
2005 Year of the Veteran 25-Cent First Day Coin Folder - Inner Panels
2005 Year of the Veteran 25-Cent First Day Coin Folder - Back Panel
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Remember
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Honour
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Celebrate
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Thank
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Teach
2005 Year of the Veteran Poster: Liberate
Posted 01/28/2020 11:01 pm
