With Canada heading towards its 150th anniversary as a nation in 2017, the Royal Canadian Mint has looked to one of the architects of the founding of this fledging nation to kick off the celebrations. Three new coins commemorating the 200th anniversary since the birth of Canada’s first Prime Minister have been released. John Alexander Macdonald, a Glasgow, Scotland-born politician was a key driving force that brought together the various provinces of British North America until on 1 July 1867, the Dominion of Canada was formed.
Sir John Macdonald became Prime Minister of the new Dominion, and except for the period between 1873-1878 when he was forced to resign during the Pacific Scandal, something related to the awarding of government contracts (how little has changed!!!), he remained Prime Minister until his death in 1891.
The three coins differ in format, starting with a 12g 14kt gold coin, through a ½oz gilded silver piece, and finally on to a 1oz clean-struck silver coin. All carry completely different reverse designs by different artists, but all come packaged in the standard RCM maroon clamshell coin case within a black shipper box. Available to order now, we can’t see these having great appeal outside of Canada, politically themed coins rarely travel well, but have little doubt that the big celebrations building up in Canada will see these sell well inside the borders that SIr John Alexander Macdonald helped to set up.
The first of the three coins celebrates one of the mans major achievments, the Canadian Pacific Railway. With the 1871 agreement by British Columbia to join the Canadian Confederation came a commitment to build the railway. The Pacific Scandal involving allegations of contract awards in return for political donations actually brought down the Macdonald government, and he resigned in 1873, but returned in 1878 where he then served as Prime Minister until his death in 1891. He was in office when the railway was completed in 1885.
The coin is a nice design, although perhaps a tad busy. The mix of map, train and man gets the coins message across with ease. A fine effort. $599.95 CND
MINTS DESCRIPTION
Despite its relative youth, Canada boasts a rich political history whose past leaders, through now, left a lasting mark on the nation Canada was to become. The Royal Canadian Mint’s world-renowned annual $100 gold coin commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A Macdonald.
The coin pays tribute to Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister and a Father of Confederation. His reputation as a nation builder is symbolized by the modern-day map of Canada, which stretches from one side of the image field to the other and overlaps beyond the image rim.
As one of Macdonald’s achievements, the completion of the Canadian Pacific railway is represented here by the steam locomotive no. 374—the first transcontinental passenger train to arrive in Vancouver in 1887. A side profile of Sir John A. Macdonald is portrayed on the right side of the image field, overlapping the rim, while the commemorative dates “1815-2015” signal the bicentennial of his birth.
| SPECIFICATION | |
|---|---|
| DENOMINATION | $100 CND |
| COMPOSITION | 0.585 GOLD |
| WEIGHT | 12.00 g |
| SIZE | 27.0 mm |
| FINISH | PROOF |
| MINTAGE | 1,500 |
| ARTIST | GLEN GREEN / SUSANNA BLUNT |
| BOX / COA | YES / YES (SERIALISED) |
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The second coin is a more traditional design and depicts Sir John A. Macdonald in front of the first Canadian Parliament building in Ottawa. Officially opened on 6 June 1866, it was designed in the Gothic Revival style, beating out Neoclassical competition. Destroyed by fire on the night of 3 February 1916, the only surviving part was the Parliamentary Library.
Another well designed coin. If the subject appeals, it should prove satisfying. $89.95 CND
MINTS DESCRIPTION
As Canada prepares to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation in 2017, the Royal Canadian Mint proudly celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s primary architect and first Prime Minister: Sir John A. Macdonald.
The coin features a portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald. Inset in the centre of the reverse within a circular engraved frame, Macdonald is presented in three-quarter profile. The beautifully rendered portrait is engraved in exquisite detail, bringing life to the gaze of this powerful figure in Canadian political history.
Behind him we see part of the façade of the original Centre Block at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. The engraved circle framing this inner portrait is finely decorated with stylized maple leaves of varying sizes flanking its left and right sides.
| SPECIFICATION | |
|---|---|
| DENOMINATION | $20 CND |
| COMPOSITION | 0.9999 SILVER |
| WEIGHT | 31.39 g |
| SIZE | 38.0 mm |
| FINISH | PROOF |
| MINTAGE | 8,500 |
| ARTIST | WILLIAM LAZOS / SUSANNA BLUNT |
| BOX / COA | YES / YES (SERIALISED) |
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The third coin is also the cleanest and simplest design, featuring a ¾-length portrait of Sir John. It’s also the cheapest at $69.95
On July 1, 1867, the Dominion of Canada was created, and Sir John Alexander Macdonald, a key architect of Canadian Confederation, became the new nation’s first Prime Minister. Knighted by Queen Victoria for his role in Canadian Confederation, Sir John A. Macdonald led the nation until his death in 1891, with only a single interruption in his leadership, from 1873 to 1878.
John Alexander Macdonald was born on January 11, 1815, in Glasgow, Scotland. He and his family immigrated to Kingston, Upper Canada in 1820. With a successful law practice, and having held political office at the municipal level in Kingston, Macdonald joined the Upper Canada cabinet in 1847, serving as receiver general and commissioner of Crown Lands. In 1854, he entered the cabinet of the United Province of Canada, serving as Attorney General for Canada West. Taking on a heavy portfolio of legislative work and providing important legal counsel to various departments of the government, his responsibilities grew until he and George-Étienne Cartier were jointly leading the Government.
By the 1860s, it was clear that some form of constitutional change was necessary. John A. Macdonald, along with George Brown, Cartier, and their colleagues presented a vision of a united British North America to the leaders of the Maritime colonies at the Charlottetown Conference in September 1864. They ultimately achieved their goal on July 1, 1867, when the Dominion of Canada was created—with Macdonald, its key architect, as the new nation’s Prime Minister.
Macdonald’s tireless work sowed the seeds of the sovereign nation of Canada.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
As Canada prepares to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation in 2017, the Royal Canadian Mint proudly celebrates the 200th anniversary of the birth of the nation’s primary architect and first Prime Minister: Sir John A. Macdonald.
Selectively gold plated and artistically frosted, this proof coin pays a fitting tribute to one of the most important figures in Canadian history.
The coin features a selectively gold plated portrait of Sir John A. Macdonald. Presented standing beside a desk, Sir John A. Macdonald gazes charismatically out from the image—taking much the same pose he would have stood for in Prime Ministerial photos of his day.
In his right hand he holds a sheet of paper, showing that he is hard at work tackling the task of nation-building. His left hand rests casually on the table top beside him.
| SPECIFICATION | |
|---|---|
| DENOMINATION | $10 CND |
| COMPOSITION | 0.9999 SILVER (GILDED) |
| WEIGHT | 15.87 g |
| SIZE | 34.0 mm |
| FINISH | PROOF |
| MINTAGE | 10,000 |
| ARTIST | JOEL KIMMEL / SUSANNA BLUNT |
| BOX / COA | YES / YES (SERIALISED) |
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