The Angel of Victory - 100th Anniversary of the First World War Armistice

Signed in 1918 “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleven month,” the Armistice of Compiègne put an end to hostilities during the First World War. Sadly, more than 66,000 men and women from Canada and Newfoundland lost their lives in the war; to honour their memory, this 10 oz. fine silver coin commemorates the centennial of the Armistice with a powerful reverse that speaks of a nation’s pride and grief, and reminds us of the cost of this “war to end all wars.”

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of Compiègne (November 11, 1918), the reverse image by Pandora Young brings together several design elements that are rooted in history. The design’s focal point is a rarely seen overhead view of the Angel of Victory statue, one of three identical bronze memorials created by Montreal-based sculptor Coeur de Lion MacCarthy. Here, the statue is a powerful reminder of the human cost of the war, embodied by the fallen Canadian combatant held by an ascending angel, who also holds a laurel wreath in her left hand. The two figures overlap the frame, which was inspired by Canada’s one-cent circulation coin at the time of the First World War (1914 -1918); a wreath of 16 maple leaves represents a contemporary twist on the maple vine design seen on all Canadian pennies between 1858 and 1920, while two rings of dots – one with 100 dots, the other with 140 – are kept intact from W.H.J. Blakemore’s classic design. The reverse includes the word “CANADA”, the double commemorative dates “1918 – 2018” and the face value “100 DOLLARS”. The obverse features the effigy of King George V by Sir E. B. MacKennal.
 

THE ANGEL OF VICTORY 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ARMISTICE - 2018 CANADIAN COINS is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 02- FINE SILVER and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.