Star Trek Deep Space 9 is 25 years old and Canada celebrates with ornate silver coin

Along with Star Wars, Star Trek is about as big a media phenomenon as it’s possible to get. Both have had some serious representation in the numismatic world over the last few years, but while Star Wars remains exclusive to the New Zealand Mint, Star Trek has spread from the Perth Mint, to the Royal Canadian Mint, and again, the New Zealand Mint. It is to the second of these three that the latest Trek coin belongs.

Considered one of the best Star Trek series of them all, if not the most popular, Deep Space Nine ran for seven years and introducxed, to Trek on tv at least, the concept of the story arc. Whereas the original series and the Next Generation were very episodic in nature, DS9 contained a backstory that threaded its way through multiple seasons. It also had an edge to the story telling that raised comparison with another classic sci-fi series that ran at the same time – Babylon 5.

Trek coins have been relatively plentiful over the last few years, but few coins strayed away from the more mundane specifications. The Royal Canadian Mint’s latest is a little more ambitious and all the better for it. In a fortunate twist, the space station that gave the series its name is, in plan at least, the same shape as a coin. The RCM has done a superb job translating that look to this strike, especially around the edge. The radial symmetry of the station has left multiple small windows with all hold coloured images within them.

The obverse continues the look and also carries colour on it, something the mint is claiming is its first. The effigy of the Queen sits in the centre very neatly and it’s easily one of the better obverse faces we’ve seen from this mint which is normally quite conservative when it comes to this face. Struck in approximately an ounce of fine silver, we think this is one of the best they’ve released for this franchise.

Packaging comprises one of the small neat ‘floating skin’ frames that hold the coin for easy viewing – something important for an issue with design work on both faces. Outer packaging is neat enough and the coin comes with a certificate of authenticity. The mintage is set a a relatively low 4,500 pieces and the coin sells for just shy of $150 CAD. Shipping from tomorrow, this looks to be a good one for the DS9 fan.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

From Gul Dukat’s machinations to the Dominion War, Star Trek™: Deep Space Nine set itself apart with season-spanning story arcs and character-driven plots that resonated with Canadian fans! The sci-fi series’ eponymous space station gives shape to our celebration of Deep Space Nine’s 25th anniversary. Engraved on both sides of your coin and the rim, the circular structure’s docking ring alters the coin’s rim, while full-colour images of the Bajoran system fill the field on both sides—an unforgettable FIRST!

Stepping away from the hopeful, exploration-themed spirit of its predecessors, Deep Space Nine struck a chord with storylines that focused more on the reality of life at the edge of the galaxy. It was the first Star Trek™ series set primarily on a space station—one built by an alien race, no less. The former Cardassian refinery-turned-Federation station was suddenly thrust into the galactic limelight after the discovery of the nearby Bajoran wormhole, which is vividly depicted on the coin’s reverse. Newly located at the crossroads of the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, Deep Space 9 became a key commercial hub and a centre of diplomacy, eventually becoming the Alpha Quadrant’s first line of defence against a Dominion invasion.

REVERSE: Within your coin’s uniquely shaped contour, the reverse design features a highly detailed, engraved rendering of the space station from Star Trek™: Deep Space Nine. Officially classified by Starfleet as a “hybrid planar-columnar tri-radial structure,” Deep Space 9’s shape is defined in part by an outer docking ring that lines the coin’s edge, which is punctuated by 12 docking ports and a series of thrusters. Another defining feature, the towering docking pylons extend towards an inner habitat ring, which is linked to a spherical-shaped central core. The station’s placement allows for a largely unobstructed view of the full-colour image that fills the field, where the Bajoran wormhole (top left) adds a bright swirl of colour to the snapshot of the Bajoran system.

OBVERSE: A different view of the series’ galactic locale is featured on the obverse, where a fine colour outline augments the engraved legend. The space station is also engraved on the obverse, where it frames the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

PACKAGING: The coin comes beautifully packaged in a ready-to-display floating frame.