The 100th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mint, a 2008 souvenir sheet of 16 stamps from Canada.

 

Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp to celebrate the centennial of the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM). It features one of the first coins minted at the RCM: a 50-cent piece featuring a crown and a border of maple leaves. To further accentuate the coin, the stamp features a high-relief image achieved through special embossing techniques. The back of the coin—a portrait of Prince Albert Edward, Queen Victoria's son—appears on this souvenir sheet of 16 stamps, along with images of other coins from the 1908 series.

The story of currencies used in Canada is a rich part of the country's heritage. From wampum and playing cards to tokens and Sols, currencies used to facilitate trade evolved continually. With Confederation came the Canadian dollar—but this country's currency was produced elsewhere until 1908. For many years, Canada's coins were minted in Great Britain. By the turn of the century, however, the chorus of calls to establish a mint in Canada grew steadily louder. The government of Canada chose to locate the new facility near Parliament Hill, and in January 1908, Governor General Earl Grey activated the RCM's press to strike Canada's first domestically produced coin.

 

The RCM is a crucible of innovation. The institution created the world's first colored circulation coin—the 2004 Remembrance Day quarter featuring a red poppy. In 2007, the RCM became the first to strike a coin made of 99.999 per cent pure gold. Among the RCM's many technical innovations is a patented multi-ply plating process that creates electromagnetic signatures that can be read by vending machines.