The Royal Canadian Mint has made available two HRH Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton’s Royal Wedding Coins for collectors, a $20 silver with sapphire and a 25-cent colored steel.
In a news release earlier this month, the Royal Canadian Mint and His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, revealed the two collector coins to celebrate the royal wedding that will be held on April 29, 2011 in Britain.
"The Royal Canadian Mint has a long history of honouring royal milestones through finely crafted collector coins and the upcoming wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is a priceless opportunity to celebrate Canada’s pride in royal tradition", said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "The beautifully designed collector coins created by the Mint will give Canadians, royal watchers and collectors everywhere exceptional keepsakes by which to remember this historic event."
The 99.99% pure silver Royal Wedding Collector Coin has a face value of $20 and features a frosted portrait of the future bride and groom. On the outer edge of the design are maple leaves and a stylized Tudor rose, plus a sapphire-colored Swarovski crystal at the bottom to represent the famous 18-carat sapphire engagement ring Prince William presented to his fiancee last October.
Inscriptions include CANADA, 20 DOLLARS, and 2011. Along the silver coin’s edge are the laser-engraved names of the future bride and groom, HRH Prince William & Miss Catherine Middleton — SAR le prince William et Mlle Catherine Middleton. The silver coin’s mintage has been limited to 25,000.
The 25-cent nickel plated steel Royal Wedding Collector Coin features a vivid colored photograph of the happy couple on its reverse. The profile of Prince William is in the foreground and his future bride is at his side.
Inscriptions on the coin include CANADA, 25 CENTS, and 2011. The royal effigy of Queen Elizabeth II is on its obverse. The 25-cent coin has a larger than usual diameter, identifying it as a keepsake. No mintage limit was announced.
The Royal Wedding Coins went on sale April 6 and shipping will begin in May. The collector wedding coins can be purchased directly from RCM’s website at mint.ca or by phone at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada and 1-800-268-6468 in the US.
The coins will also be available in RCM’s boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, and at participating Canada Post outlets.
About Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit mint.ca.
