World-first multifaceted high relief "wolf" coin leads the pack as Royal Canadian Mint announces August 2019 collector coins

OTTAWA, ONTARIO, AUGUST 7, 2019 – The Mint is proud to unleash its latest numismatic tour de force with the 2019 $25 Fine Silver Coin - Multifaceted Animal Head: Wolf. Struck in extraordinarily high relief rising 6 mm from a 36 mm diameter surface, this Claude Thivierge-designed coin is composed of 435 individual polygons. The Mint's R+D Lab team, engravers and die manufacturing experts banded together to successfully strike a complex array of tiny mirror-like surfaces which effectively sculpt the face of a Canadian wildlife icon with unparalleled brilliance and sharpness. This revolutionary coin, along with other innovations, is now available for purchase.

In another world-first, the Mint is launching the 2019 $20 Fine Silver Coin - Lights of Parliament Hill. Using a proprietary "Colour Reveal" technology, a photograph of the Peace Tower in Ottawa comes to life under UV light, with an intricate pattern of colour, produced in minute detail. This effect produces a realistic vision of the annual "Northern Lights" show which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Ottawa's Parliament buildings for an unforgettable nighttime spectacle.

Yet another UV-generated effect is found on the Tony Bianco-designed 2019 $20 Fine Silver Coin - Sky Wonders: "Steve". Shining a black light on the coin reveals an unusual phenomenon first observed in Canadian skies in 2016: a fleeting, thin arc of green and violet light seen next to an aurora borealis, which is produced by a "sub-auroral ion drift" of charged particles flowing in the atmosphere at extreme speeds.

These exciting coins are joined by many other fine creations making their debut this month:

• The 2019 $250 Fine Silver Coin - 100th Anniversary of CN, an oblong-shaped, concave coin featuring the classic image of a steam locomotive chugging through the Canadian Rockies, designed by Mint Engraver Matt Bowen and struck in exceptionally high relief;
• The $20 Fine Silver Coin - Second World War Battlefront Series: The Battle of the Scheldt, designed by Thunder Bay artist Mary McPherson;
• The 2019 $10 Pure Gold Coin - 100th Anniversary of the Last Issued Sovereign, commemorating the last British Sovereigns to be produced in Ottawa in 1919;
• The 2019 $20 Fine Silver Coin Norse Gods - Frigg, the last coin in an Alexandra Lefort-designed series;
• The selectively gold-plated 2019 5-Ounce Fine Silver Big Coin Series: 1-Cent Coin;
• The 2020 Pure Gold Fractional Set, the Mint's first such set to feature four 99.999% pure gold coins, each artist featuring a hologram enhancing artist Luc Normandin's maple leaf design;
• The 2019 Fine Silver Classic Canadian Coin and Medallion Set, a new collection of circulation coins reproduced in pure silver with colour enhancing their reverse designs;
• The 2019 Canadian Circulation Set - Everlasting Icons, ideal for young collectors, featuring all of Canada's current circulation coins, along with a Darren Booth-designed 50-Cent piece that glows in the dark;
• The 2019 $30 Fine Silver Coin - Golden Reflections: Predator and Prey - Orca and Sea Lions, a fully gold-plated coin designed by wildlife artist W. Allan Hancock;
• The 2019 $350 Pure Gold Coin - Canadian Wildlife Portraits : The Cougar, a 99.999% pure gold, very low mintage collectible designed by artist Denis Mayer Jr.;
• Two new lotus-shaped creations by Three Degrees Creative Group celebrating the Year of the Rat on a 2020 $2,500 Pure Gold Coin and a 2020 $15 Fine Silver Coin;
• Three new 2020-dated Year of the Rat designs by artist Aries Cheung, specifically on a $150 Gold Coin, a $15 Fine Silver Coin, and a $10 Fine Silver Coin;
• The 2019 $3 Fine Silver Coin - Celebrating Canadian Fun and Festivities - Folk Music, designed by Steve Hepburn; and
• The 2019 $5 Fine Silver Coin - Zodiac Series: Virgo, designed by Jori Van Der Linde.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found on the "Shop" tab of www.mint.ca. Coin images are available here.

All of these products can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the Mint's web site. The coins are also available at Royal Canadian Mint' boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. 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 www.mint.ca. Follow the Mint on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

For more information, media are asked to contact:

Alex Reeves
Senior Manager, Public Affairs
Tel: (613) 884-6370
reeves@mint.ca