Composition:
1 cent: copper
5 cents: 92,5 % silver, 7,5 % copper
10 cents: 92,5 % silver, 7,5 % copper
25 cents: 92,5 % silver, 7,5 % copper
1 dollar: 92,5 % silver, 7,5 % copper
Mintage: 6 000


100th Anniversary of the Striking of Canada's Silver Dollar

In late 1911, the Ottawa Branch of the Royal Mint struck a trial one-dollar coin in lead; two more were struck in silver by the Royal Mint in London, England. These three coins are among the rarest Canadian coins: the lead trial coin and one of the silver coins are nowhoused in the Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada in Ottawa, and the other is privately owned. Why were only three ever struck?

The answer lies in an unprecedented and unlikely combination of events. First, the «Currency Act» of 1910 authorised the Ottawa Branch of the Royal Mint to strike one-dollar silver pieces, wich it planned to do in 1911. However, in May 1910, King Edward VII passed away, wich sparked a fascinating sequence of events in the history of Canadian coinage.After King George V was crowned, a race ensued to ensure that his effigy would appear on coinage across the Empire, in time for the issuingof 1911 coinage. Since most of the master tooling had to be made at the Royal Mint in London and shipped to Britain's Dominions and colonies, the engravers at the Royal Mint were under a great deal of pressure. As a result, creating the master tooling for the existing denominations--as opposed to the yet-to-be introduced silver dollar--was made the priority, and the silver dollar was put on hold.

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This change in government brought a change in policy. In the days immediately following the striking of the first lead trial silver dollar,the Minister of Finance stated that the new government was shelving plans to create a Canadian silver dollar. As a result of these exceptional events: the passing of a King, delays in the receipt of tooling, and finally, a change of government, it was not until 1935 that a Canadian silver dollar --Emanuel Hahn's now iconic Voyageur design--was struck and circulated, and the 1911 dollar became one of Canada's rarest coins.

PROOF SETS - 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANADA'S 1911 SILVER DOLLAR - SPECIAL EDITION - 2011 CANADIAN COINS is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 07- PROOF SETS and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.