Up next, a tribute to a note from the early 20th Century...The third coin in the Canadian Bank Note series is one based on an 1908 $50 note from the Northern Crown Bank (Winnipeg, Manitoba).
1908 Northern Crown Bank $50 Note
(Image Credit: Bank of Canada Museum - National Currency Collection.)The central vignette of the note - Lion on the Mountain - is presented as the primary design element on the commemorative reverse design of the coin. The 1908 note was engraved and printed by the British American Bank Note Company for the Northern Crown Bank. The original note measures 188 mm (horizontal) by 84 mm (vertical).
Note: The Northern Crown Bank was purchased by the Royal Bank of Canada in 1918.The $50 note was part of a short series that included $5, $10, $20 and $50 notes; Series 1908 and 1914 notes were printed. The Northern Crown Bank was formed via the merger of The Northern Bank and The Crown Bank of Canada in 1908. The Northern Bank printed a series of notes dated 1905, the Crown Bank of Canada issued 1904-dated notes, but neither featured the "Lion on the Mountain" vignette.
The $5.00 coin was struck on a 99.99% fine silver planchet with a diameter of 36.07 mm and a weight of 23.17 grams; the coin's edge is serrated/reeded. It had an issue price of $69.95 and a maximum mintage of 8,500 - the actual mintage (units sold) was 7,560 (per the Mint 2014
Annual Report) and Numista) - 2014 (7,004 units) and 2015 (556 units). The coin was placed on sale July 2, 2014.
The Royal Canadian Mint describes the coin's reverse design as:
"The reverse of this 99.99% fine silver coin features a re-creation of the stunning portrait of a lion taken from an early twentieth century vignette created by the British American Banknote Company. The King of the Jungle is brought to life in painstaking detail as
Royal Canadian Mint engravers capture the characteristic line engraving of early banknote design. Augmenting the masterful work of the original engraving, here the distinctive curve of each muscle and strand of fur, the striking shading of the lion and his dramatic mountainous surroundings, and the minute detail of the scrollwork and lettering are taken from original banknote designs and rendered in pure silver."
(A definite improvement over the Mint's description of the vignette/reverse design on the 2014 Bank of Western Canada / Saint George Slaying the Dragon coin.)
2014 Northern Crown Bank Silver $5.00
2014 Northern Crown Bank Silver $5.00 - Beauty Box
The Mint's engraving staff was responsible for the coin's presentation of the note's vignette; no individual designer/engraver was named by the Mint.
I paid $49.95 + $10.00 shipping (CAD) - $59.95 total. The favorable USD-CAD exchange rate converted this to $45.35 (USD) - just $0.35 over my target. I'm going to need to find a good deal on the 2015 coin if I'm going to hit my overall target budget!
For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including more on Canadian commemorative coins, see:
Commems Collection.
Posted 07/04/2024 08:35 am
