With the new 2022 SDs now in general release...I've been presenting a "By the Numbers" post about Canada's modern NCLT 36 millimeter commemorative silver dollars since 2012 - this is the 7th iteration. As always, I've added new issues to the appropriate categories for all SDs that were released since the last update. Here's a link to my 2021 post in case you'd like to compare:
By The Numbers 2021 .
Note: Each release of this tracker includes the first SD release of the year (historically, the January release).2021 followed 2020's lead as a relatively low-volume year for commemorative SDs. In addition to the Proof and Selectively Gold-Plated
Bluenose issues released in January 2021, the Mint struck only one other SD - a Brilliant Uncirculated version of the
Bluenose design that was made available only via a base-metal Special Edition Proof Set. In prior years, the SD in such sets was a Proof version of an alternate design of the same theme as the standard annual release. For example, in the past, the
Bluenose SD in the set would have featured a different design vs. that of the January release.
A noticeable change to this tracker involves the Mint's Peace Dollar. For the January 2021 update, I included the Peace Dollar in the census. For this 2022 update, I have removed the 2020 and 2021 Peace Dollar coins and have not included the 2022 release. With its 2022-dated Peace Dollar, the Mint has made it clear that the Peace Dollar is a new annual series that is separate and distinct from its commemorative SD series. So, I have removed the Peace Dollars from this tracker and won't be including them going forward.
(Note: This tracking sheet is specific to the R C M's non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) commemorative 36 mm SD series (1971 to date).)To make it easier to see where the post-January 2021 and new 2022 SDs were added, I've highlighted them in red and
bolded them in the table.
In the first "By the Numbers" table, back in 2012, I listed 58 design types and 103 total SDs in a complete collection. The numbers have steadily increased over the years, some years more than others (2017 was a BIG year for new SDs!). With the removal of the Peace Dollar series (one design, two coins), the total number of design types remained at 84 through the new 2022 releases and the corresponding total of coins needed for a complete set increased to 147 (a net of just +1).
Side Note: Though there was some speculation about such a coin, no colourized
Bluenose SD was released in 2021; the Mint did, however, issue a colourized ten-cent
Bluenose coin with a standalone design.
As with past lists, large-format coins (e.g., those of the Renewed Silver Dollar series) are not included in this census, nor are the smaller silver Loon dollars - just 36 mm SDs from 1971 through February 2022. Also, the 2012 Two Loons colourized SD is not included - it is larger, at 38 mm in diameter, than the other coins on the list. It's up to each collector to decide if he/she would like to include non-36 mm SDs as part of their SD collection. For me, I stick with the basic size of Canada's traditional circulating SD - it keeps things simple for me.
The R C M's modern NCLT silver dollar series continues to be its longest-running commemorative coin series, dating back to 1971. I believe it offers a reasonable collecting challenge to those who decide to pursue it - even if you are starting from Square One! While all of the coins are generally available in the market, finding nice examples of the earlier issues can sometimes be a little difficult due to their improper handling over the years. Most SDs are available at or below issue price, but some have market prices that continue to be greater then their issue price. Of course, the intrinsic value of the silver in early SDs of the series causes their current market price to exceed their issue price, but such prices are tied more to the spot price of bullion plus a small premium vs. a pure numismatic premium.
I can personally vouch for the fact that it is an attractive set when viewed as a whole.
As I've stated previously, I use this data table to track the different categories of R C M 36 mm SDs. It should be thought of as more of a category census than an issue-by-issue collecting checklist or value tracker. The data is meant only to define and quantify the various 36 mm SD types issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.
Posted 02/01/2022 2:16 pm
