Coins of 2011 - Canada's natural, historical and cultural heritage
By thecanadiannumismatist | Wednesday, 31 July 2024
In 2011, the Royal Canadian Mint celebrated Canada's natural, historical and cultural heritage on several commemorative coins. Among them, som were produced to circulate. All five of these special circulation coins were inspired by the theme of our legendary nature; a fixture of Canadian pride and identity.
2 dollars 2011 - Parks Canada and Boreal forest
This coin was first released in November. For circulation, it was preceded by a one-dollar circulation coin dedicated to the centennial of Parks Canada in released in October (below).
The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to help Canadians celebrate their country's legendary natural heritage with five new commemorative circulation coins honouring our great outdoors and a century of nature conservation by Parks Canada.
As one of the world's largest ecosystems, the boreal forest is an integral part of Canada and of the Canadian experience, which deserves to be immortalized on a special two-dollar circulation coin Canadians can collect from coast to coast to coast.
- Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint
Specifications
- Composition: Outer ring : 99+% Ni, Inner core : 92% Cu, 6% Al and 2% Ni
- Weight: 7.3 g
- Diameter: 28 mm
- Edge: Interrupted serrations
1 dollar 2011 - Parks Canada
This commemorative circulation dollar coin was unveiled by Canadian government officials and representatives of Parks Canada and the Mint, at a public ceremony hosted at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec, in October.
This new series of commemorative circulation coins from the Royal Canadian Mint captures the essence of Canada's natural, historical and cultural treasures.
By creating the world's first national parks service, Canada has made nature conservation a prized Canadian value and inspired countries around the world to protect their unique wilderness regions.
- Peter Kent, Canada's Environment Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada
Specifications
- Composition: Nickel electroplated with bronze
- Weight: 7 g
- Diameter: 26.5 mm
- Edge: Plain
25 cents 2011 - Wood Bison, Orca Whale and Peregrin Falcon
Coloured versions of this coins were also released.
On January 12, 2012, the 25-cent circulation coin celebrating Canada's Wood Bison was released. The Wood Bison is uniquely Canadian, as it is only in Canada that it can be found in the wild. Though 200,000 Wood Bison once prospered in the woodlands of the Canadian West, only mere hundreds survived by the early 1900s because of overhunting and human encroachment. Thanks to the work of Parks Canada in Wood Buffalo and Elk Island National Parks, the nearly extinct Wood Bison population has bounced back to number more than 10,000. The introduction of Wood Bison at Chitek Lake and Lake Winnipegossis in the 1990s is also helping expand this precious animal's range to Manitoba.
The Orca Whale coin entered circulation on February 9, 2012. Equally at home in Canada’s Pacific and Atlantic coasts, the Orca is a highly social sea mammal, of which some populations are considered threatened or endangered. Significant Orca pods have found sanctuary near the British Columbia mainland in places such as the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve of Canada and the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve.
Last one of this serie of coins, the Peregrin Falcon coins were available on March 7, 2012. This bird species nearly disappeared, due primarily to the use of DDT in the 1950's and 1960's. Brought back from the brink through countless volunteer efforts in cities across Canada and protected wilderness habitats such as New Brunswick's Fundy National Park, the Peregrine falcon is equally at home in urban and natural environments. It even frequents Winnipeg, Manitoba, home to the Mint facility which produced its namesake coin, thanks to the creation of nesting sites at landmarks such as the Hotel Fort Garry and the Manitoba Legislative Building.
Specifications
- Composition: Three-ply nickel finish plated steel
- Weight: 4.4 g
- Diameter: 23.88 mm
- Edge: Reeded
Collectors and special coins
Many other coins were produced on this our legendary nature theme including:
- Silver Wood Bison, Orca Whale and Peregrin Falcon 25 cents coins
- Special commemorative dollar silver coins, including a gold-plated one
- Four 50-cent 1/25 ounce 99.99% pure gold coins featuring Canada's boreal forest; the Orca; the Wood Bison; and the Peregrine Falcon
- Four $10 face value 99.99% pure silver coins featuring Canada's boreal forest; the Orca; the Wood Bison; and the Peregrine Falcon
- A special-edition uncirculated set featuring the one-dollar Parks Canada Centennial and two-dollar Boreal Forest coins, as well as the coloured and uncoloured versions of all three 25-cent coins
More articles
- Canadian coins
- Canadian banknotes
- Canadian tokens and medals
- International
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