Commems Collection Classic: Inspiring A Canadian Commemorative Coin?

I recently came across an article in The Ottawa Citizen from 1927 that argued for one or more Canadian coins to commemorate the 1927 60th Anniversary of the the Canadian Confederation. The article was titled "Lessons of History Related in Issues of Coins and Medals." IMO, the anonymous article was written by someone who understood history through a numismatist's eyes.

The article's opening sentence grabbed me upon my first read:

"It will be readily conceded that monuments of art -- such as temples, statues and triumphal arches -- have proved to be of the most important advantage in elucidating and testing the chronicles and histories of past times, and even in bringing to light important events in the history of the world, of which no written record existed; and it must be allowed that coins, when brought to bear in a similar manner upon historical facts, become still more positive evidence."



The article offered the following regarding coins:

"The act of stamping a piece of metal with the signet of the state or sovereign by whom it was issued, was the act of guaranteeing its declared weight and purity, just as we now place our seal to a binding document."

And followed this premise with:

"A coin collector and numismatist can enjoy the study of history from an entirely different angle from the other students of history who know not of the romances wrapped up in a coin."

After discussing the importance of Roman coins to historians of the day, the article turned its attention to the commemorative coinage of the United States ("US"):

"A study of the various coinages of the American Republic seems to indicate an effort to return to the romantic in history, inasmuch as the great events of its history are being commemorated on their various anniversaries, by the issue of a coin or a number of coins , or a complete coinage, for the purpose of bringing before the people of that country in the way of a monument, which shall be lasting and shall be in constant sight, the momentous events in the life of a nation."

As a specific comparative commemorative coin reference, the article outlined then-recent US commemorative coins, by listing coin issues beginning with the 1918 Illinois Statehood Centennial Half Dollar and running through the 1926 Oregon Trail Memorial Half Dollar - 14 types were listed.

It then noted:

"Canadians have a similar heritage [to the United States] to hand down to posterity, which could be commemorated by symbols on their coinage, but Canada's nearness to the United States does not necessarily mean that our policies are to be guided or affected by American thought. We have at least one common problem, however, to deal with, namely, to assimilate peoples from every country of the globe and weld them into one unit from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

"Our great men who are anxious to achieve all that is highest and best for this great and growing Dominion are preaching unity. Would not this unity be assisted in attainment if the momentous events in our nation's life were kept constantly before all the people of the country?"

The article concluded with a plea to the Governor in Council (Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon) to use the powers granted to his position to select/approve one or more commemorative design(s) for Canadian coins to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Canadian Confederation.

No commemorative coins were struck for the Confederation Anniversary, however, but a 25.4 mm bronze commemorative medal was produced and distributed to Canada's schoolchildren. I've added several of these small medals to my collection over the years - I have regularly looked for upgraded examples.

1927 Canadian Confederation 60th Anniversary Schoolchildren's Medal


Canada's first commemorative coin was the 1935 Silver Dollar marking the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of King George V.

1935 Canada Commemorative Silver Dollar


For more on this coin, see:

- 2010 75th Anniversary Of Canada's First SD


For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Canadian numismatic stories, see: Commems Collection