Daily Archives: March 9, 2010
Lord Wedgwood Unveils Coin Depicting Ancestor’s Sydney Cove Medallion
A limited collector coin replicating the design of the historical Sydney Cove Medallion has been unveiled at the Museum of Sydney by Lord Wedgwood of Barlaston, the seventh generation descendant of Josiah Wedgwood, whose company created the original Medallion in 1789.
Sydney Cove Medallion High Relief Silver Proof Coin - Click to Enlarge
Struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver and issued as official Australian legal tender, the coin features a special 'high relief' representation of the celebrated Medallion's allegorical design portraying 'time's opening scenes' in the colony of New South Wales.
With four classical figures on the shores of a bay, the scene was called Hope encouraging Art and Labour under the influence of Peace to pursue the employments necessary to give security and happiness to the infant colony. Beneath the figures in raised lettering was inscribed ETRURIA 1789, the name of Wedgwood's Staffordshire factory.
Gold Ends Mildly Lower, Silver Advances Slightly
Royal Canadian Mint to Change Coin Compositions
Ottawa, Ontario -- As part of the Government of Canada's budget announcement to modernize Canada's currency , the Royal Canadian Mint will change the composition of one-dollar and two-dollar coins, using the Corporation's cost-effective patented multi-ply plated steel technology.
The current composition for the one-dollar coin is bronze plated nickel, while the current composition for the two-dollar coin is, for the inner core, aluminum bronze (copper, aluminum and nickel), and for the outer ring, pure nickel. The primary new composition of both coins, to be launched at the beginning of 2011, will be multi-ply plated steel.
The Mint is currently working collaboratively with key stakeholders to minimize the impact of this composition change on their day-to-day operations. The new coins will bear the same look and feel as the current bronze and nickel one-dollar and two-dollar coins.