The RCMP, a 2010 gold proof 50 cent coin from Canada.

The seventh coin in the Smallest Gold Coins Ever Produced By The Royal Canadian Mint Series, this 2010 pure gold proof coin features an RCMP officer astride his horse, both in a posture of pride.

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).

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.