- Country:Canada
- Collection:Silver Commemorative $1
- Metal:Silver
- Year:2019
- Denomination:$1
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):5.068
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:1000
- Product type:Coin
FLOREAT TERRA NOVA: "May the New Found Land Flourish." Order today!
This 70th anniversary tribute to Newfoundland's status as a province of Canada, double-dated 1949-2019, is much larger than the original. Pictured on the reverse is The Matthew, the ship historians believe John Cabot was sailing when he discovered Newfoundland. The detailed rendering ofthe ship is made more impressive by the fact that the original design was hand-carved in miniature-and directly into steel-by one of the most illustrious figures in our history: Thomas Shingles, Master Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint (1943-1965). Below the ship reads the Latin inscription "FLOREAT TERRA NOVA", which means "May the New Found Land Flourish."
Own this 70th anniversary tribute to Newfoundland and to a well-loved coinage legacy!
Special features:
A BEAUTIFUL COMMEMORATIVE PIECE! Widely considered to be one of our most beautiful commemorative pieces, the 1949 silver dollaris re-imagined on a 5 oz pure silver coin.
DOUBLE DATED 1949-2019! Your 70th anniversary tribute to Newfoundland's status as a province of Canada, double dated 1949-2019, is much larger than the original coin but every bit as detailed-a masterful work of art that is the lasting legacy of Thomas Shingles, Master Engraver of the Royal Canadian Mint (1943-1965).
LOOK BACK ON OUR PAST! Like pages from our history, a past commemoration is an opportunity to explore the heritage of the Royal Canadian Mint and thank all the people who contributed to its history, from engravers to the production floor.
AS FINELY ENGRAVED AS THE ORIGINAL PIECE! With the exception of the double-date 1949-2019, the reverse is identical tothe original design by Thomas Shingles, who hand-carved the image in miniature.
FEATURES A HISTORICAL EFFIGY! Just like the 1949 silver dollar, this $1 coin's obverse features the effigy of King George VI by T. H. Paget.
LIMITED MINTAGE! Only1,000 coins will be made available worldwide.
INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
NO GST/HST!
Design:
As it appeared on the 1949 silver dollar, the original reverse design by Thomas Shingles commemorates Newfoundland's entry into Canadian Confederation on March 31, 1949. It represents The Matthew, the ship presumably sailedby explorer John Cabot when he reached the coast ofNewfoundland in 1497. The image of the three-mastedship under full sail was based on a model and takenfrom a photograph. Beneath the water lies the Latininscription "FLOREAT TERRA NOVA"-"May the New Found Land Flourish". The obverse features the effigy of King George VI by T. H. Paget.
About Thomas Shingles:
Thomas Shingles (1904-1984) joined the Royal Canadian Mint in 1939 and became Master Engraver in 1943. As he had done with the Victory Nickel, Shingles prepared the master tooling for the 1949 Newfoundland Commemorative dollar entirely by hand in the span of just five weeks, carefully carving the design in miniature directly onto the steel matrix. Shingles retired in 1965 but continued to work as an artist, and won the design competition for a 1971 silver dollar that marked the centennial of another province's entry into Confederation: British Columbia.
Did you knowÃ
Commemorative coins weren't common practice in Canada until the 1960s. Previous to that time, the dollar was the denomination of choice.
Most designs were reduced to scale for engraving. In 1949, the typical method was to create a largemodel of the coin design first, then reduce it using a pantograph engraver-not so for the 1949 silver dollar, which showcases Thomas Shingles' outstanding skills as an artist and engraver.
The 1949 dollars were struck from selected dies to ensure a superior finish. Packaged in plastic or cardboard tubes of 20 to minimize abrasions, the coins entered circulation in late June 1949, with the first ones sent to Newfoundland.
Some 1949 dollars were struck in 1950. Due to demand, the decision was made to continue striking the coin in 1950 while retaining the 1949 date. An additional 40,718 pieces were struck in 1950, for a total combined mintage of 672,218.
