They are the honoured men and women who, through their meritorious service, best exemplify the finestqualities of the military profession. Since its creation in 1972, more than 4,700 members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been appointed to the Order of Military Merit. This is one of Canada's highest honours—the proud recognition of thosewhose dedication and commitment to their country gobeyond the call of duty, and in a manner that embodies the Order's motto: Officium antecommodum ("Service before self").

Founded on July 1, 1972 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the Order of Military Merit includes three ranks of membership, with eligibility typically based on the level of responsibility of the nominee: Member (M.M.M.), which usually recognizes non-commissioned members (NCMs) and junior officers for their "exceptional service or performance of duty"; Officer (O.M.M.), which normally recognizes senior officers of the ranks of Lieutenant-Commander or Major toCaptain(N) or Colonel for their "outstanding meritorious service in duties of responsibility"; and its highest rank, Commander (C.M.M.), which recognizes flag and general officers for their "outstanding meritorious service and demonstrated leadership in duties of great responsibility."

A beautiful coin that honours outstanding meritorious service. Order today.

• NEVER BEFORE HAS THIS APPEARED ON A COIN! Your coin is an exquisite reproduction ofthe real insignia, also crafted by the Royal Canadian Mint.
• SECOND COIN IN SERIES: The 45th Anniversary of The Order of Military Merit is the second coin in the CanadianHonours Collection, which honours key anniversaries for some of the highest honours within the Canadian Honours System.
• HEARTFELT TRIBUTE TO ITS HONOURED MEMBERS: A proud commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the Order of Military Merit, and a heartfelt tribute to its honoured members!
• LOW MINTAGE: Your coin has a low limited worldwide mintage of 5,500.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. Most of these are serialized certifications, meaning that each certificate is given a unique number, starting at 1.
• 99.99% PURE SILVER! Your coin has no GST/HST.

Designed by Bruce W. Beatty, C.M., S.O.M., C.D., the insignia of the Order of Military Merithas been proudly struck by the Royal Canadian Mintsince 2012. The reverse of this fine silver coin presents a near-faithful re-creation of the insignia bestowed upon those appointed to the highest rank of membership: Commander of the Order of Military Merit (C.M.M.). Blue translucent colour re-creates therich colour of the straight-end cross patée, with its four arms narrowing at the centre. Surmounted by a colourful St. Edward's Crown, a red annulus bears the inscription "MERIT. MÉRITE. CANADA.", whose yellow colour mimics the gold of the original insignia. At its centre, the red maple leaf helps distinguish the insignia of Commander from that of Officer or Member, which would feature a gold and silver maple leaf (respectively). The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Susanna Blunt.

• To make up for the long absence of a Canadian military honour for merit, the Constitution of the Order was amended during its first year to allow a doubling of the annual quota.
• Appointments are generally made in September and October of each year, with nominations submitted through the chain of command. The Advisory Committee of the Order completes a list of recommendations for appointment, which is then submitted to the Governor General (the Chancellor of the Order) by the Chief of the Defence Staff.
• The number of annual appointments must not represent more than 0.1% of the total population of the Canadian Forces, including reserves.
• Each year, only 6% of appointments can be Commanders and30% are Officers; the remainder are to be appointed as Members.
• The insignia's four-armed cross is acommon feature on many honours and decorations from around the world—including the Royal RedCross, which was presented to Canadian military nurses until the end of the Korean War.
• Earlier designs for the Order's insignia proposed including the uncrowned effigy of Her Majesty The Queen; instead, the insignia was modelled after the Order of Canada to ensure uniformity among Canadian honours.
• Every medal is numbered on the back to tie it to each recipient, whose name is published in the Canada Gazette.

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

Order today.