Viola Desmond sparked a movement by standing firm in the face of injustice. On November 8, 1946, she was arrested after she refused to sit in a segregated section of a movie theatre. Her act of courage, and the legal challenge that ensued, became a rallying point for equal rights in Canada. Your coin honours civil rights pioneer Viola Desmond, whose signature appears on the coin. While the script text is a nod to the Halifax businesswoman’s line of beautyproducts, the photo-based design is a lasting reminder that one person can inspire change.

A heartfelt tribute to Viola Desmond! Orderyour coin and $10 bank note set today!

• SPECIAL! Includes a new $10 vertical bank note issued by the Bank of Canada on November 19, 2018, featuring Viola Desmond’s portrait!
• COMMEMORATES A CRUSADER!Her courageous stand against racial discrimination is a milestone moment in Canada’s history.It is part of this nation’s continuing journey to equal rights and freedoms for all.
• INCLUDES HER SIGNATURE! Your coin and the accompanying certificate of authenticity include a copy of Viola Desmond’s signature, as it appeared on a graduation diploma from the Desmond Studio of Beauty Culture. Her printed name alsoappears in a script font, as it did on the originalpackaging for Sepia Beauty Products—her very own line of hair and skin care products.
• DOUBLE DATED! Your coin is double dated to denote Desmond’sbirth year (1914) and the year of her passing (1965).
• A HEART THAT REPRESENTS A LEGACY! The necklace seen in the photograph inspired the stylized heart on the reverse.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! The Royal Canadian Mintcertifies all of its collector coins. 
• LIMITED WORLDWIDE MINTAGE!Your coin has a limited worldwide mintage of 8,000 coins!
• PURE SILVER! Your coin is crafted from 99.99% pure silver.
• NO GST/HST!

Your coin features a reproduction of an iconic photograph of Viola Desmond, whose signature is reproduced from a diploma issued by the Desmond Studio ofBeauty Culture. Double dates commemorate Viola Desmond’s birth date (“1914”) and the year of her passing (“1965”), while the necklace in the photograph inspired the stylized heart. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

The Royal Canadian Mint proudly presented the coin to Viola Desmond’s sister,
Ms. Wanda Robson, on January 23 at her home in Nova Scotia.

“We worked closely with Viola Desmond’s sister, Ms. Wanda Robson, to ensure Viola’s story was shared accurately.” Matt Eggink, Product Manager, Royal Canadian Mint

• Viola Desmond was a successful entrepreneur and a mentor.
  At a time when beauty schools and shops were often segregated, Desmond opened Vi’s Studio of Beauty Culture in 1937, followed by the Desmond School of Beauty Culture. Her next business venture was the launch of Vi’s Beauty Products (brandedSEPIA), a successful line of skin and hair care products that bore her name and likeness—similar to thecoin’s reverse.
• Desmond was charged with tax evasion.
  Since segregation wasn’t legally enforced, Desmond was charged, convicted and fined for failureto pay the one-cent difference on the amusement taxon the pricier lower-level seat. In fact, Desmond had attempted to exchange her balcony-level ticket and pay the difference, but she was denied based on the colour of her skin.
• Her conviction galvanized a community.
  Attempts to overturn Desmond’s conviction were unsuccessful, but the injustice paved the way for new legislation in the 1950s and 1960s that prohibitedracial discrimination in Nova Scotia. Finally, on April 15, 2010, Desmond was posthumously granted a pardon, along with an apology and a public declarationthat her case had been a miscarriage of justice.

Order today!

Bank note images reproduced with the permission of the Bank of Canada – La reproduction des images de billets de banque est autoriséepar la Banque du Canada.