One more look at Canada's non-circulating legal tender ("NCLT") five-cent coins of the early 21st Century...In 2000, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a NCLT commemorative Sterling Silver five-cent coin to honor Les Voltigeurs de Quebec, the first French-Canadian regiment within Canada's Armed Forces - the regiment was formally established in 1862 via amendments to Canada's Militia Act (the unit was originally known as The Ninth Battalion Volunteer Militia Rifles, it was renamed Les Voltigeurs de Quebec in May 1863. The unit can trace its roots, however, to a light infantry unit formed in 1812 by Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry to engage in the War of 1812.
As 2000 is not specifically a milestone anniversary year for the regiment, the Five-Cent coin serves more as a
lifetime achievement award vs. a specific event/milestone anniversary commemorative. That said, the coin itself was a
milestone of sorts, as it marked the first time the Mint issued a standalone Sterling Silver (0.925 Fine Silver) commemorative five-cent coin. (Previous commemorative silver five-cent issues were 0.800 Fine Silver vs. Sterling.)
Les Voltigeurs de Quebec is a Prime Reserve unit within Canada's Armed Forces; it has gone through many name changes during its history, but has served Canada well in multiple military actions, including:
- Fenian Raids (1866)
- North West Rebellion (1885)
- South African War (1899-1900)
- World War I (1914-1918)
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Afghanistan (2002-2014)
For more details about Les Voltigeurs de Quebec, I suggest the web site of Government of Canada:
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Les Voltigeurs de QuebecThe obverse of the coin features the Dora de Pedery-Hunt portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (facing right).
Per the Mint, the reverse design presents a "baton, drum and sash - each honoring the regimental insignia of Les Voltigeurs de Quebec. Originally used to alert troops during battle, drums were later used to establish marching tempos and assemble soldiers in temporary encampments."
The coin had an issue price of $16.95 (CAD) and has a published final mintage of 34,024 coins (Maximum Mintage: 40,000). Its composition is Sterling Silver (92.5% Silver, 7.5% Copper), with a diameter of 21.20 millimeters and a weight of 5.35 grams.
2000 Les Voltigeurs de Quebec Five Cents Coin
2000 Les Voltigeurs de Quebec Five Cents Coin - Outer Sleeve
Other of my posts about Canada's commemorative NCLT five-cent pieces can be read here:
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2001 Royal Military College 125th Anniversary-
2002 Battle Of Vimy Ridge 85th Anniversary-
2004 60th Anniversary Of D-Day - Coin & Medallion Set-
2005 60th Anniversary Of V E Day - Coin & Medallion SetFor other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more Canadian numismatics stories, see:
Commems Collection 
Posted Today 5H 2M ago
