Welcome To 2021 - January RCM Releases

I also agree with the above comments:
- The format change is a big showstopper for those of us who use coin trays.
- Price and mintage increases are factors (still trying to get my head around those).
- People (investors) who demand five 9s buy other products elsewhere due to excessive premiums.

We will know by year-end how these changes play out...

@jaymiles7: Do you collect Canada's 10-cent coins with the Bluenose? Those coins, at 18.03 mm, are a little smaller than the new gold coin (about 10% smaller). Maybe, in hand, the size won't be as much of an issue for you?

@jaymiles7: I fully understand. We all have to collect what makes us happy and by our own definitions of what becomes part of our collection.

I hope that future RCM 2021 Bluenose releases are more to your liking! You will likely have multiple coins to choose from!

Nothing specific, just this from the RCM's web page for the Bluenose silver dollar. It gave me the impression that there will be Bluenose coins beyond the January release (which seems focused on the design/launch phase).

Start at the beginning! This proof dollar represents the first chapter of a story that continues on multiple coins in 2021. It's part of a celebration of the Bluenose journey, from design to launch and throughout its racing years, as well as its enduring legacy.

@atticguy

I have received the Classic Uncirculated set and the $100 gold the SD said it shipped yesterday so I anticipate it by mid next week and Proof Set is still "processing" with an anticipated March 9 delivery. Of interest, I also ordered the specimen set from the February release and it is being shipped with the SD.


As another note, I really like the Bluenose launch image on the $100 gold but I am disappointed in the size. It is not as disappointing as the Coleville set from last year which are tiny but there is a clear difference in the hand and eye appeal regardless of the quality of the image/engraving. One difference I didn't anticipate is the change in colour. When looking at the 2020 and 2021 coins side by side, the 14K gold/silver alloy in the 2020 has a distinctly lighter shade of gold than the 2021 99.99% pure gold coin. That is a welcome change... I am still on the fence though over the size decrease. I am trying to get a good image of them side by side and will post when I do.

@commems


Yes & No. I will keep the coin as it is quite good looking in its own right but all future coins in this format will be assessed individually. Much like you, I have been maintaining my 36mm SD series but also the 27mm $100 Gold. In both series, I have bought one or two coins less for their aesthetic appeal than continuation of the series. I will not retain that constraint for the new format $100. For example, I was not a fan of the Looney Tunes and DC Comics $100 from a 2014-2016 back but I did enjoy the 1st nations versions (Frog & Raven). Were I not maintaining the series, I would have given the Cartoon coins a miss. I will be doing that going forward with this new format.

With the price of gold stepping up and the nature of Canadian taxation (i.e. only 99.9% gets GST/HST free status) I predict that there will be no future alloyed PM coins and the 1/4 oz format will remain at this 20mm form factor. I know they just issued a "thin" 1/10 oz (Coat of Arms Centenary) in the 20mm form factor... I would be interested if they move the $100 - 1/4 oz to back to 27mm but with a "thin" planchet. It is a shame because the SD has been able to retain its 36mm form factor through iterations of 50%, 92.5% (Sterling) and the current 99.99% (Fine). It would have been nice if they had offered the same consideration to the $100 gold annual coin. I haven't calculated out whether a 27mm planchet at 1/4 oz would be physically thick enough to maintain the engravings on each side coming out of the press but since these are NCLT and retained in capsules for the most part, I have to believe that "pocket" wear isn't a concern...