The United States Mint did not strike a commemorative coin or medal in 2001 to mark the 225th anniversary of the US' declaration of independence from Great Britain. The Royal Canadian Mint, however, struck a pair of medals (it referred to them as medallions, a term typically used to describe larger format pieces) to mark the occasion - one in Sterling Silver (0.925 fine silver) and one in copper-nickel (CuNi). It was the first time that the Mint struck a piece honoring a country other than Canada - its long-standing/traditional ally was selected for the honor. It was also the first coloured medallion struck by the Mint.
The medallions were also an attempt by the Mint to extend the reach of its numismatic products in the United States marketplace via a US-themed release.
The two commemorative medallions share the same designs. Their obverse presents a colourised US Flag with the inscription "LIFE, LIBERTY, HAPPINESS" above the flag and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" (translation - "FROM MANY, ONE") below it. Encircling at the rim are 50 five-pointed stars, one for each of the 50 States in the US Union.
On the reverse is depicted a left-facing bald eagle with its wings up and holding an olive branch (symbolic of a desire for peace) and arrows (symbolic of a willingness to fight / defend) in its talons. Above the eagle, at the rim, is the inscription "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" with "225 / YEARS" and "1776-2001" inscribed below.
The medals were struck in low relief with generally minimalistic design elements. For example, the bald eagle on the reverse is basically a representational line drawing vs. fully-engraved real-life depiction.
The medals are 36 mm in diameter - the same as Canada's traditional silver dollar. The issue price was $30.95 (CAD) for the sterling silver version and $19.95 (CAD) for the CuNi version; USD prices were $19.85 and $12.95 for the sterling silver and CuNi, respectively. The medallions were first offered for sale in late 2001 as part of the Mint's annual holiday catalogue. Though the silver version sold out, the C-N version remained available for sale from the Mint throughout 2002. I have not seen final sales totals published for either version - they are not included in the Mint's
Annual Report for 2001 or 2002.
The silver version was packaged in a green clamshell with a green felt interior. The copper-nickel version was packaged similarly, but with blue components. The copper-nickel version was also sold in a blister pack without a clamshell. In all packaging options, the medallion was encapsulated.
2001 RCM United States 225th Anniversary Medal
2001 RCM United States 225th Anniversary Medal - Slipcase, Front
2001 RCM United States 225th Anniversary Medal - Slipcase, Back
For other of my posts about commemorative coins and medals, including other Canadian commemorative issues, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 10/15/2023 08:48 am
