A look back of 50 years to 1975...To help mark the 100th anniversary of Calgary, Alberta, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a commemorative Silver Dollar (SD) highlighting an event synonymous with the city.
The centennial milestone date celebrated is actually linked to the 1875 establishment of a fort/post by the North-West Mounted Police (NWMT) at the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers on a site that is within present-day Calgary. The fort was was originally named Bow River Fort, but it was renamed in December 1875 as Fort Brisebois after its Commander, ephrem-A. Brisebois. The NWMP HQ didn't support the fort being named after its commander, however, and so, within a year, the fort was renamed as Fort Calgary.
The obverse of the SD presents the Arnold Machin portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The commemorative reverse depicts a cowboy, bucking a bronco, in the Calgary Stampede (rodeo). In the background is seen a modern city skyline (at left) - it doesn't appear to match Calgary's circa-1975 skyline, however - and three oil rigs (at right). Donald Paterson designed the reverse; he won an open competition (sponsored by the Mint) for the coin's commemorative design - his design was selected from over 450 entries.
1975 Calgary, Alberta Centennial Silver Dollar
As with other SDs of the era, the coin's final mintage was determined by the number of orders received by the Mint; the ordering deadline was September 30, 1975. The Final Mintage/Sales Total for the coin was 833,095 - a different world vs. today's market!
The SD was encapsulated, then placed in a black plastic (styrene) frame/holder that was inserted into a black, faux leather clam shell case with a red interior. The presentation case features a silver imprint of Canada's Coat of Arms on the outside surface of its lid. The case was inserted into a thin, white, cardboard sleeve with the Arms printed in orange.
The Issue Price for the Specimen finish SD was $3.50; the coin was only available in a Specimen finish.
A similar reverse design is seen on the 2012 SD that commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the Calgary Stampede.
2012 Cagary Stampede Centennial Silver Dollar
For more of my topics on commemorative coins and medals, including other Canadian commemorative stories, see:
Commems Collection.
To learn about the special package created by the 1975 Calgary SD's artist, see:
-
1975 Calgary Centennial SD - Artist's Folder 
Posted 01/05/2025 2:43 pm
