In light of Queen Elizabeth II's recent passing, I'm returning to a 2002 Silver Dollar of which I previously posted - the 2002 Queen Mother SD - to update its story and fill in some of its details... The 2002 Queen Mother Silver Dollar (SD) was, at one time, a $300+ (CAD) SD on the secondary market. As with most non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) coinage, however, its retail price has fallen as demand for the coin has dropped.
The Queen Mother SD was the first Canadian SD to have a maximum mintage of just 10,000. This was an immediate market driver as, in 2002, there were more "completist" collectors of the series than it seems there are today (IMO) - by "completist" I mean collectors who add every SD to their collection - regular issues, limited editions, special editions, set-only editions, etc. - vs. just the annual regular issue.
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon - the Queen Mother - was born on August 4, 1900 and died on March 30, 2002; she was Queen Elizabeth while her husband, King George VI, reigned - December 11, 1936 to February 6, 1952 - and was a popular Royal figure throughout her life. She was an active member of the Royal family, handling her official duties for 66 years. She was the mother of Queen Elizabeth II (born April 21, 1926 / died September 6, 2022).
The 2002 SD was issued as a tribute piece to celebrate the Queen Mother's life and legacy. One direct connection to Canada took place in 1939 when she accompanied King George VI on a nationwide tour of Canada; it was the first time a reigning monarch had ever visited Canada. The tour was the subject of a commemorative SD and multiple medals in 1939, as well as a $20 silver coin in 2014 to mark the trip's 75th anniversary.
The commemorative reverse was designed by Susan Taylor and depicts a forward-facing Queen Mother in her later years. Ms. Taylor had a long career with the Mint, had a hand in the designs of dozens of coins and rose to the position of Senior Engraver before she retired. The coin's obverse presents the Dora de Pédery-Hunt portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The proof-only SD was struck on a sterling silver planchet (i.e., 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper) with a diameter of 36.07 millimeters and a weight of 25.175 grams; the coin has a reeded/serrated edge. Issue price for the SD was $49.95.
The SD was a sell-out, with net sales of 9,994 coins (the small discrepancy vs. 10,000 is due to damaged/unsaleable returns).
In the years that followed its release, the maximum mintage of 10,000 was repeated for a number of other Limited/Special Edition SDs (and even "bested" by a few with maximum mintage limits of 5,000). This loss of its unique place among Canada non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) SDs helped to bring about its market price decline. For the "completist," however, it remains on the checklist!
2002 Queen Mother Silver Dollar
2002 Queen Mother Silver Dollar - Beauty Box
You can read my original post on the Queen Mother SD here:
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2002 Queen Mother Silver DollarFor more on the Royal Visit that included Elizabeth, check out:
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2014 75th Anniversary Of Royal Visit Silver CoinFor other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including more about Canadian pieces, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 12/04/2022 08:52 am
