1970
-
- At Peter Degraaf's coin store in Ottawa, a woman shows Degraaf a 1969 large date 10c coin. (This is the first known occurrence of the coin outside the mint until a second example appears in 1977.) [694.18]
1971
- August 28
- At the CNA convention, the Wark uncirculated 1921 50c coin sells at auction for $8937, to a mail bid from New York City. [436.291]
1973
- November 14
- In the minting facility of the Royal Canadian Mint in Hull, Quebec, Postmaster General André Ouellet strikes the first $5 coin for the 1976 Olympic Coin Program. [45.12] [551.28]
- December 12
- Banks across Canada begin making individual $5 and $10 Olympic coins available at face value. [379.8]
1974
-
- Gary Lazeo of Monarch Coin and Stamp Galleries discovers that some 1973 25c coins have the 1972 obverse, rather than the specially-made 1973 obverse. [533.26]
1975
- March 8
- The branch mint in Winnipeg, Manitoba, begins producing Canada's circulation coins. [14] [45.24] [172.240]
1976
-
- In New York, a 1921 50c coin sells for $31,000. [578.12]
- In Alberta, the cornerstone of the Elbow Park Elementary school is opened, revealing 10c, 25c, and 50c coins dated 1921, in uncirculated condition. [578.12]
1977
-
- At Jeremy Day's New World Coin & Stamp store in North Vancouver, a man shows a 1969 large date 10c coin in VF condition. This is the second such coin known to exist. [694.18]
- August
- Highlights of the Canadian Numismatic Association conference auction:
- 50 cents 1921 choice uncirculated: $18,000;
- 50 cents 1921 specimen: $16,000;
- 5 cents 1921 uncirculated: $3300;
- $5 and $10 uniface patterns: $8200;
- 1947ML specimen set with curved '7' 50 cents: $5000.
[207.2] [590.1] [593.8]
- September 23
- Highlights of the Charles D. Moore Auctions auction at the Toronto Coin Club Fall Coin Rally in Toronto:
- 5 cents 1921 good/very good: $5000;
- 25 cents 1894 proof-like (finest known): $2500;
- 1947 ML set with curved 7 50 cents: $6200.
[595.46] [598.32]
- (month unknown)
- The Royal Canadian Mint begins striking 1977-dated 50c and $1 coins. No coins had been required earlier in the year due to an excess of 1976 and 1975 coins ordered by the Bank of Canada. [605]
1978
-
- Jeremy Day of New World Coin & Stamp store in North Vancouver buys a 1969 large date 10c coin in VF condition for $700. [694.18]
- The Royal Canadian Mint discusses a new circulating dollar coin with interested parties, via meetings of the Currency Advisory Committee. [173.3]
- Gary Lazeo or Jeremy Day buys a second 1969 large date 10c coin for about $3000. [694.18]
- In Boston, Massachussettes, USA, the Bay State Coin & Stamp Show holds an auction of the A.J. Amato II Collection. Some highlights:
- 50 cents 1921 choice uncirculated: US$35,000;
- 5 cents 1921 uncirculated: US$6,500;
- 25 cents 1889 brilliant uncirculated: US$1,600;
- 50 cents 1904 cleaned uncirculated: US$4,000.
[20.10]
1979
- December
- The Canadian government announces plans to introduce a thinner, lighter 1c coin. As of January 1, the government will have the authority to mint a 1c coin weighing 2.8 grams with diameter of 19.0 mm. [25.1]
1980
- January 1
- The government gains the authority to mint a one-cent coin weighing 2.8 grams and diameter of 19.0 mm. [25.1]
- January
- The reduced weight cent goes into production. [14]
1981
- December 10
- A proclamation authorizes the issue of bronze 1c coins, weight 2.5 grams, 12-sided, effective January 1, 1982. [111.690]
- A proclamation changes the composition of the 5c coin to 75% copper, 25% nickel (cupro-nickel), with weight 4.6 grams, effective January 1, 1982. [111.692]
- December 17
- The Supply and Services Minister announces that the 1982 1c piece will be 12-sided, to aid the blind in distinguishing it from the 5c piece. [39.5] [661.63]
- December 29
- The Supply and Services Minister announces that the 1982 5c piece will be struck in cupronickel (75% copper, 25% nickel). [38.1]
1982
- March 11
- A proclamation sets the designs of the 1982 commemorative and regular issue nickel dollars, effective March 15, 1982. [87.1856]
- March
- The Royal Canadian Mint's vice president of manufacturing shows a mockup of a proposed smaller circulating dollar coin to the finance manager for the Calgary Transit system, and the executive director of the Canadian Urban Transportation Association. [42.1] [216.1]
- April 13
- The Supply and Services Minister announces that the commemorative nickel dollar would be struck in circulation quality only. [44.6]
- April 17
- The first 1982 commemorative nickel dollar struck for circulation is presented by the Minister of Supply and Services to Queen Elizabeth II, during her Royal visit to Canada. The Minister announces that the coin would be available to the public by July 1. [676.1] (April 13 [9])
- (month unknown)
- The Royal Canadian Mint begins production of the 12-sided 1c coin. [661.215]
- June 10
- Striking of 1982 commemorative nickel dollars begins. [661.149]
1984
- May 9
- In Ottawa, the Minister of Supply and Services unveils the design of the circulating $1 coin, commemorating the 450th anniversary of the landing of Jacques Cartier at Gaspe, Quebec. [701.1]
- May 29
- A proclamation sets the design of the 1984 commemorative nickel dollar, effective June 1, 1984. The coin commemorates the 450th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's landing at Gaspe, Quebec. [88.2487] [661.150]
- July 24
- The Royal Canadian Mint issues the 1984 commemorative nickel dollar. [661.150,257]
- August
- The Royal Canadian Mint accidentally releases several hundred thousand 1985-dated 25c coins, part of a striking of pre-production trials. [217.1]
- September
- A Gallup Poll is conducted to gauge public acceptance of a new circulating dollar coin. 1000 Canadian adults are shown samples and asked their opinion on the coin. 67% say it is a convenient weight. 66% say it is a convenient size (diameter). 80% say it is easy to distinguish from other coins. 60% think it would be convenient to use. 60% give overall approval to the coin. [173.9] [252.8] [709.1]
1985
- January 1
- The portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is changed on all coins to the design of Raphael Maklouf. [152.18]
- February 14
- The government establishes a House of Commons committee to study a proposal to produce a new smaller dollar coin. The report is due June 14. [49.7] [214.M1] [718.1] [785.25]
- February
- A House of Commons committee begins studying a proposal to introduce a smaller $1 coin into circulation. [212.B1]
- April 15
- Royal Canadian Mint officials recommend to a House of Commons committee that the $1 bill be replaced by a new 11-sided, bronze-plated nickel $1 coin. The change could save the government $9 million per year. [211.1] [332.A8] [914.299]
- May
- The Master of the Royal Canadian Mint announces the new dollar coin would have a coat-of-arms design on the reverse. [49.9]
- June 14
- The House of Commons Standing Committee on Miscellaneous Estimates recommends that the government issue a new circulating dollar coin, and withdraw the one dollar bank note. The new coin should be 11-sided, 26.5-mm diameter, weigh 7-grams, and be yellow-gold in color. The one dollar note should be withdrawn over a three-year period. [213.1] [219.A5] [718.1] [785.25]
- (month unknown)
- The Royal Canadian Mint begins a second mintage of 1-cent coins, using a hub with a new style (pointed) "5" in the date. [410.28]
1986
- March 25
- The Supply and Services Minister announces that a bronze-plated nickel $1 coin will be introduced into circulation in 1987, gradually replacing the $1 bill. The 11-sided coin will use the same reverse design (voyageur in canoe) as the current nickel dollar. [67.213] [272.A5] [273.C8] [725.1]
- June
- In Parliament, Bill C-118 passes, giving the Royal Canadian Mint the authority to produce a new circulating $1 coin. [785.25]
- (month unknown)
- The Royal Canadian Mint makes six test strikes of the new $1 coin with the voyageur design. [737.3]
- November 3
- Master dies for the new dollar coin, featuring the voyageur and canoe reverse, are picked up from the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa, by Mouland Express Incorporated, a courier company. [49.9] [220.A2] [229.A19] [333.A1] [736.1] (December [260.5])
- November 5
- Ace Courier Services assures Royal Canadian Mint authorities in Winnipeg that the master die packages are en route to Winnipeg. [220.A2]
- November 6
- Ace Courier Services informs Royal Canadian Mint authorities that the delivery of the master die packages has been delayed due to a severe snow storm. [220.A2] [333.A1]
- November 12
- Ace Courier Services reports that it cannot locate the packages containing the dollar coin master dies. [220.A2]
- November 14
- The Royal Canadian Mint informs the RCMP of the missing dollar coin dies. The RCMP begins an investigation into their disappearance. [221.A4] [229.A19] [333.A1]
- November 17
- The Royal Canadian Mint announces that the new circulating $1 coin would not be available until next July, rather than January as planned, due to delays in the approving and tendering process for new coin blanks. As a result, the current nickel $1 coin would still be produced in 1987. [734.15]
- November 21
- The Royal Canadian Mint informs the minister responsible for the mint, Monique Vezina, about the loss of the new dollar coin dies. [333.A1]
- November 27
- An Order in Council authorizes the minting of a bronze-plated nickel dollar coin in 1987. [91.459]
- November 30
- The RCMP calls off the search for the missing dollar coin dies, concluding that the packages arrived in Winnipeg, then were misplaced by the courier company. [229.A19] (late December [736.1])
- December
- The Royal Canadian Mint begins selecting a replacement design for the dollar coin reverse, due to the loss of the master dies with the voyageur/canoe design. [220.A2]
- December 22
- A Royal proclamation, effective January 1, 1987, sets the design of a 1987 nickel dollar, and new bronze-plated nickel dollar. The new dollar coin has a 26.5mm diameter, weighs 108 grains, and is eleven sided. The design of the two nickel dollars is to be the same voyageur/canoe image used on previous nickel dollars. [90.325]
- December 24
- Numismatics magazine calls Robert-Ralph Carmichael, to inform him that his loon design will be used for the new $1 coin. Carmichael had submitted the design in 1976 for a coin contest. [260.5]
1987
- January 8
- The federal government authorizes a new design for the circulating $1 coin, for introduction in July. [736.1]
- Royal Canadian Mint officials report that master dies for the new $1 coin were lost or stolen while being shipped by courier from Ottawa to Winnipeg. The new design is announced as one that features a loon, designed by Ralph-Robert Carmichael. [66.14] [260.5] [261.44] [914.309] (Michael Carmichael [221.A4]) (Robert Carmichael [333.A1])
- January 28
- A Royal proclamation changes the reverse design of the new dollar coin to a common loon resting on a lake. [91.459] [785.25]
- March
- The Royal Canadian Mint confirms that the nickel voyageur dollar coin will not be issued for circulation in 1987. [737.6]
- May 7
- At the Royal Canadian Mint's Winnipeg facility, a ceremony is held for the first-striking of the new circulating $1 coin. Minister of Supply and Services Monique Vezina strikes the first coin. [152.19] [739.1] [785.25]
- June 23
- Several hundred new dollar coins are released early, in Calgary, Alberta, due to a miscommunication. [224.A3]
- June 30
- Canada's new $1 coin, dubbed the "Loonie" or "Looney", is officially launched. [49.9] [69.2] [139.4] [169.880] [223.A1] [224.A3] [225.B4] [230.7] [261.44] [785.25]
1989
- June 26
- The effigy of Queen Elizabeth II for all coins is updated (for 1990), showing a portrait designed by a Canadian, for the first time. [64.402] [71.2]
- June 27
- The Royal Canadian Mint begins striking 1990-dated coins for circulation, with the new portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Canadian Dora de Pedery-Hunt. Circulating dollar coins are the first struck. [228.A1]
|
