Commems Collection Canadian: 2010 75th Anniversary Of Canada's First SD

I've recently posted about a pair of 2010 Royal Canadian Mint (R C M) silver dollar (SD) releases (links below), so I thought I would keep my look at the year going with another of the Mint's limited edition SD releases.

In 2010, the Mint released a Limited Edition Silver Dollar that commemorated the 75th anniversary of Canada's first circulating silver dollar. It was the first time King George V's (KGV) portrait was used on a modern non-circulating legal tender SD of Canada. It has since been used several times (see link below).

The first appearnance of KGV's portrait on a Canadian SD occurred in 1935 when a new silver dollar coin was released for circulattion. The new coin featured Percy Metcalfe's KGV portrait on its obverse and Emmanuel Hahn's iconic voyageur and First Nations person paddling a canoe design on its reverse; Hahn's design was a tribute to Canada's early fur trade. The design went on to be recognized as a classic among Canada's circulation coins.

The 1935 coin was a circulating commemorative piece, issued to mark the 25th anniversary ("Silver Jubilee") of King George V's ascension to the British throne; the commemorative inscription on the coin's obverse translates from Latin as "George V King Emperor 25th Year of Reign." The 1935 SD was Canada's first coin to feature a domestically-created design - Hahn's voyageur on the reverse.

1935 King George V Commemorative Silver Dollar


The 2010 coin's obverse incorporates the commemorative KGV inscription of the 1935 coin in keeping with its commemorative replica intent. The reverse design recreates Hahn's voyageur design with a slight modification to include the dual date "1935-2010" vs. just the "1935" found on the original coin. The reworking of the Northern Lights is another obvious modification on the replica coin.

2010 75th Anniversary of Canada's First Silver Dollar Commemorative Silver Dollar


The coin was available as a standalone proof coin for $69.95 CAD, and as part of a Limited Edition Proof Set for $159.95 CAD. The Mint's 2010 Annual Report lists sales of 7,494 for the individual Limited Edition SD and 4,996 for the Limited Edition Proof Sets that included the commemorative SD along with sterling silver (0.925 fine) versions of the 5-, 10- and 25-cents coins plus a copper 1-cent coin. Maximum mintage figures were, 7,500 and 5,000 respectively.

The proof SD was struck on a sterling silver (0.925 fine silver) planchet, with a diameter of 36.07 millemeters and a weight of 25.18 grams.

The coin and set became available to Masters Club members at the end of May 2010; both were listed as "Sold Out" about two months later in late July. For a time, the set proved to very popular with collectors and soon had online "sold" prices over $300 CAD. Prices began to settle later in the year, and, by the end of 2010, sets could be purchased for $200-$225 CAD. Today, the Proof Set often trades in the $225 to $275 CAD range, though prices above and below will also be encountered.


For a discussion of other modern SDs that feature a portrait og King George V, check out:

- King George V On Canada's 36 MM Silver Dollars.

For other post about Canada's 2010 SDs, check out:

- 2010 Poppy Dollar
- 2010 Ultra-High-Relief "The Sun" Dollar

For still other posts about Canadian commemorative coins and medals, have a look at: Read More: Commems Collection.