Latest 2008 Royal Canadian Mint offerings include Chinese Lunar Zodiac hologram gold and cameo silver coins, silver and gold Moon Mask coins, Vignettes of Royalty (King George V) silver coins, silver Queen of Spades Playing Card coin, silver Sapphire and Amethsyst Crystal Snowflake coins, Holiday Carolling silver coins, 50 cent Holiday Snowman, and NHL© coins.

Ottawa, Ontario, October 1, 2008 — The Royal Canadian Mint today issued its latest release of collector coins and gift products for 2008—just in time for the holiday season. Examples from this impressive selection include: gold and silver coins celebrating the Year of the Ox; new gold and silver Moon Mask coins; an ultra-high relief King George V Vignettes of Royalty $15 silver coin; a new 99.99% pure silver Holiday Carols coin; as well as innovative keepsakes honouring Canada’s beloved NHL© teams, featuring team jerseys, dual image logos and goalie masks. The public can purchase these new products as of today.

"As the Royal Canadian Mint continues to celebrate its centennial year, we are proud to issue new products showcasing the creativity, quality and innovation which have been our hallmarks since 1908," said President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint, Ian E. Bennett.

"Collectors and gift givers alike will find many exciting choices among the collector coins and gift products offered just in time for the holiday and hockey seasons."

Here are the highlights of the Mint’s newest selection of products:

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The Royal Canadian Mint has been able to sustain its inventory of gold coins, unlike the U.S.Mint, as physical demand for gold has surged in September due to volatile markets and financial uncertainty.

The U.S. Mint suspended one-ounce Buffalo gold coin sales to authorized dealers Thursday when demand exceeded supply. For the same reason in August, the Mint had to suspend and then resumed one-ounce American Eagle gold coin sales to dealers on an allocated basis.

The Royal Canadian Mint has not turned away buyers this year. Nor has it plans to do so — to the contrary of reported market talk.

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In an unusual case, a judge decided that one of five stolen Swedish rare coins purchased at a garage sale — a Swedish 1632 Gustav II Adolf gold Dukat — would be returned to the daughter of the woman who bought them, and not to the owner’s estate who received the other four.

“This case raises squarely the conflict between two principles, protection of property and protection of commercial transactions,” said British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Bruce Butler who ruled to split the coins.

To better understand Justice Butler’s decision, background information provided in the case offers an excellent history of events.

Coins purchased in garage sale

Marina Ovsenek was on her way to a cancer treatment with her daughter, Stephanie Manning, when they happened by a garage sale sign. They decided to stop, and Ms. Ovsenek bought a box containing five gold-colored coins and a brooch for $5.

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“Queen Mary” $500 1911 is One of Only Three Known to Exist

Dallas, TX: Heritage Auction Galleries will offer one of the rarest Canadian notes ever printed, the “Queen Mary” $500 1911, in their upcoming Long Beach Currency Signature Auction, to be held September 17-19, 2008.

DC-19 $500 1911

“This is an amazing note, one of the classic rarities in Canadian currency,” said Michael Moczalla, Consignment Director for Dallas-based Heritage Auction Galleries. “Until the discovery of this particular piece, there were only two examples known to exist in private hands. In fact, this type and denomination is so rare that it is even lacking in the official Bank of Canada collection!”

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The Royal Canadian Mint’s world-famous "Million Dollar Coin" made its Asian debut at Beijing’s Olympic Expo 2008 (Olympex). The unveiling was conducted by The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge and Honorary IOC President for Life Juan Antonio Samaranch.

This unprecedented coin, recently certified by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest gold bullion coin, represents the international bullion industry’s summit of achievement in gold purity.

The Mint is also participating in Olympex to showcase its Vancouver 2010 coin program, the largest ever produced in honour of an Olympic Games. It will also display specimens of coins minted in celebration of past Olympic Games hosted in Canada, as well as offer unique and innovative collector coins and gifts for sale to visitors to the Mint’s booth.

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The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister responsible for the Royal Canadian Mint, today announced the appointment of Ms. Bonnie Staples-Lyon of Winnipeg as a member of the board of directors of the Royal Canadian Mint for a term of four years.

"I am pleased that Ms. Staples-Lyon has agreed to serve as a director of the Royal Canadian Mint," said Minister Cannon. "Her experience in business and communications will be an asset to the organization."

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Goldline International, Inc. today announced the acquisition of 1, 700 "first strike" one ounce 2008 Canadian Maple Leaf gold coins designed and minted by the Royal Canadian Mint.

The exceptionally attractive gold coins feature the Canadian national symbol of a maple leaf on the reverse or tails side and a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse or heads side.

Each coin is struck from .99999 fine gold. They are among the purest coins struck in the world, and were first introduced by the Mint in 2007. Gold Maple Leafs were issued prior — starting in 1979 — but not to the 24 karat purity level.

The coin’s denominated (legal tender) face value is $200. However, their gold content alone is worth about $900 in today’s market. There is a premium normally associated with the collectible value for each as well. Their face value, gold content, and purity are guaranteed by the Canadian Government.

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Ottawa, Ontario – With the Beijing Olympic Games and Beijing Paralympic Games just around the corner, the Royal Canadian Mint is proud to issue the 2008 Lucky Loonie, the latest in its extensive Olympic themed circulation coin program.

The one-dollar coin, which features the familiar loon landing in water and the official emblem of the Canadian Olympic Team, enters into circulation today.

"Canadians from coast to coast can wish our athletes luck by keeping special coins produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, including the 2008 Lucky Loonie," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.

"The Mint has provided each member of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Teams competing in Beijing with a Lucky Loonie as their own personal good luck charm and through the launch of the coin, Canadians also have an opportunity to own a piece of the Olympic dream."

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The world-record 100-kg, 99.999% pure gold maple leaf bullion coin will be displayed at the 2008 annual convention of the Canadian Numismatic Association

Media representatives and the general public are invited(*) to a one-day showing of the world’s largest, purest and highest denomination gold coin at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa on Saturday, July 19, 2008.

The Royal Canadian Mint will display its 100-kg, 99999 pure Gold Maple Leaf bullion coin with a $1 million face value at its booth located on the floor of the Canadian Numismatic Association’s 2008 Convention.

The Mint will also exchange coins with visitors to its booth, in return for a 2008 $2 circulation coin commemorating the 400th anniversary of Quebec City.

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Ottawa, Ontario, July 16, 2008 – History and innovative design combine to produce yet another outstanding series of Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) collector coins with the introduction of fine silver rectangular coins emulating a long-lost currency of our past: New France’s playing card money.

The innovation and design creativity continues with a new crystal-embedded fine silver raindrop coin, a new Royal Effigies Series coin featuring King Edward VII, as well as gold and silver coins celebrating yet another Canadian Achievement, the world-famous IMAX film standard, among several others captivating themes.

"As the Royal Canadian Mint celebrates its centennial and as Canada celebrates other historical milestones such as the 400th anniversary of the city of Quebec, we are proud that our collector products are telling the story of Canada in fascinating new forms", said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.

"Our artisans and experts have once again succeeded in creating outstanding treasures in silver and gold which capture the imagination of coin collectors and gift givers everywhere".

The following is an overview of the new products which will be available to the public on July 23, 2008:

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