1/25-Oz Gold Coin - RCMP (2010)
One of the Mint's smallest pure gold coins!
A famous Canadian icon.
Highlights:
With its delicate size, this exquisitely-crafted coin is an object of pure
intrigue, its collectability heightened by its pure gold composition
and reduced mintage. This coin is a
stunning example
of the remarkable
detail a skilled hand
can capture within a
small surface.
Coin design:
An RCMP officer astride his horse, both in a posture of pride.
The theme:
Canada’s national police force was originally known as
the North-West Mounted Police. They were founded
in 1873, and after a period of training, two hundred
and seventy-five police officers were dispatched to
patrol the western frontier.
Their objective: to establish law and order, suppress
the whiskey trade, bring unruly desperados to justice
and establish positive relations with the First Nations
people of the area—quite a challenge considering
there were no facilities when they arrived.
The men were entirely on their own. Communication
with the East involved a 322 km (200 mi) ride to
Montana (USA). The men set about building a hospital,
shelter for the horses, followed by sleeping quarters for
the men and officers. With the help of local settlers and
native groups, they were able to gather enough supplies
to see them through the winter.
Recruits were required to know how to ride, but
little attention was given to the finer points of
military riding. Formal cavalry drills began in 1885
as the force was approaching 1,000 men. Fifty years
later, the wife of one of the original British Cavalry
Sergeant who trained the men remarked how the
manoeuvres at the 1935 Exhibition and Stampede
were identical to the original drills—a grand display
of horsemanship set to music that continues to
delight audiences the world over as the Musical Ride.
In 1920, the Force became known as the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Today, it is
a world-renowned organization with more than
28,000 members. The spirit and history of the RCMP
is woven into the history of the prairies. The cities of
Calgary (Alberta) and Regina (Saskatchewan) both
originated as NWMP posts—and the buffalo on the
RCMP crest recalls the untamed frontier that greeted
its first recruits over a century ago.
Specifications
- No.108185
- Mintage 14,000
- Composition99.99% pure gold
- Finishproof
- Weight (g) 1.27
- Diameter (mm) 13.92
- Edgeserrated
- Certificateserialized
- Face value50 cents
- ArtistJanet Griffin-Scott (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
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