Dated May 26, 1868, a royal warrant of Her Majesty Queen Victoria granted individual arms to the first four provinces of the newly formed Dominion of Canada: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It further stated that these provincial arms were tobe quartered for use as a Great Seal for the new country. While the quartered arms were never used forthe Great Seal of Canada, the four-province shieldwas adopted as the heraldic emblem of the Dominionof Canada. It appeared on the flag of the Governor General of Canada, as well as the Canadian Blue Ensign and the Canadian Red Ensign flown at sea. As more provinces joined Confederation, emblematic devices continued to be (informally) added to the Dominion shield until 1921, when it was replaced with the duly authorized Arms of Canada.

"Although it did not serve its intended purpose, the four-province emblem became widely recognized as the national coat of arms and was included in the flag of the Governor General and the Canadian Blue Ensign in 1870, in the Canadian Red ensign in 1892, and on $5 and $10 coins minted in Ottawa from 1912 to 1914." Auguste Vachon: Outaouais Herald of Arms Emeritus, Member of theInternational Academy of Heraldry

A gorgeous 10 oz. historical artefact coin thatwill forever have a place in your collection. Order today!

• A HISTORIC DESIGN FOR CANADA:This 10 oz. coin features the firstherald shield of Canada. The four-province shield from 1868 predates the Great Seal of Canada (1870) and was adopted as the armorial emblem of the Dominion of Canada.
• THE HUNT FOR HISTORICAL TREASURES: We dug deep into Library andArchives Canada's collection to find the original design by Sir Charles George Young, the Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms in England, as well as a letter dated April 8, 1868 and addressed to Richard Grenville, third Duke of Buckingham and Chandos and secretary to the colonies from 1867 to 1868.
• INCLUDES SPECIAL CERTIFICATE: Each coin comes with a special insert so you can view the original drawing.
• RESEMBLES THE ORIGINAL DRAWING: A paper finish transforms thelook of the engraved design so that it resembles the original drawing.
• INCLUDES SELECTIVE GOLD PLATING: Selective gold plating adds contrasting colour and an elegant gleam to the engraved artwork.
• INTERPRETING THE PAST: Royal Canadian Mint engravers interpreted the original pen and ink drawing and scaled it to fit this unforgettable 10 oz. coin. It also includes a few revised elements that were suggested by the Duke of Buckingham after the design was submitted in 1868.
• A LARGE COIN THAT'S BIG ON HISTORY: Crafted from 10 oz. of99.99% pure silver, this large-sized (76.25 mm) coin will delight collectors of rare, unique and historical-themed treasures.
• 10 OZ. 99.99% PURE SILVER COIN: Your $100 coin is 99.99% pure silver, with a diameter of 76.25 millimetres and a nominal metal weight of 311.54 grams (10 oz.).
• NO GST/HST

The reverse design features the armorial bearings of the Dominion of Canada (1868-1921). It is based on the original 1868 pen and ink drawing by Sir Charles GeorgeYoung and includes the changes requested by the Duke of Buckingham. Granted by Royal Warrant of Queen Victoria, the Dominion shield features the quartered arms of the first four provinces to join Confederation: Ontario (the cross of St. George and a sprig of three maple leaves), Quebec (two fleurs-de-lis, a lion passant guardant and a sprig of three maple leaves), Nova Scotia (a salmon between three thistles) and New Brunswick (a lion passant guardant and an ancient galley). The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

"My background in History taught me to search the archives for content, but this was the firsttime I got to handle such important historical documents. I'm so glad they gave me white gloves to handle them—the weight of seeing these treasures in person made my hands sweat! Reading the correspondence to Duke of Buckingham, with its perfect calligraphy, made me nervous in the best of ways. I was so excited to handle these precious documents dating back to 1868." JamieDesrochers, Royal Canadian Mint

• Sir Charles George Young's vision for the arms of Ontario consisted of the cross of St. George and a wheat sheaf, but the design was revised to include the sprig of maple leaves featured on this coin.
• The original proposal for the arms of New Brunswick included ahorse that symbolized the House of Brunswick, but it was replaced with the lion of England seen on this coin.
• Nova Scotia had already been granted armorial bearings in 1625 but was assigned new arms after joining Confederation (those arms appear on this coin). The original armorial bearings were restored in 1929.
• This shield was granted to decorate the Great Sealof Canada. But when the engraved version arrived in Canada in 1870, its design was completely different. The provincial shields were included, but they appeared as individual shields attached to oak trees on either side of the seated figure of Queen Victoria.

Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

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Credit line:Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1949-1-3