Ottawa Mint sovereigns

Ottawa Mint sovereigns

The British 1 pound piece (known as a sovereign) was coined between 1908 and 1919 at the Ottawa Mint (known today as the Ottawa branch of the Royal Canadian Mint. This has augmented debate among Canadian numismatists because some view these pieces as Canadian while others view them as British and should be separate from the decimal series of Canadian coinage. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 182, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6] Since the opening of the Ottawa Mint, the Dominion of Canada’s government wanted to produce decimal gold coins. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 182, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6] As it was a branch of the Royal Mint, it was obligated to mint sovereigns on request. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 182, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6] When sovereigns were requested, it was usually for export causes.

Edward VII

The various branch mints produced sovereigns for the Royal Mint. A Mint Mark distinguished the Ottawa Mint’s production of the sovereigns. All sovereigns produced in Ottawa had a “C” Mint Mark to signify that it was produced in Canada. The sovereigns of 1908 were Specimen coins only and its tiny mintage was struck merely to establish the series. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 182, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6] The production for the circulation of sovereigns began in 1909.

George V

The mintages for the sovereigns produced at the Ottawa Mint were modest. The total of all Ottawa Mint sovereigns barely equalled the yearly mintage compared to the London, England branch of the Royal Mint and the Australian branches of the Royal Mint. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 183, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6] The Ottawa Mint’s highest output for sovereigns was in 1911 when it produced 256,946. The rarest Ottawa Mint sovereign is the 1916. Only 50 pieces are known to exist today, and there is no evidence to explain why there is such a low amount in existence. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 183, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6]

Until the last few years, the 1916 sovereign that was minted in London, England was rare as well, but thousands were released from a British bank. Another tale is that the 1916 Ottawa Mint sovereigns were lost at sea on its way to England during World War I. This is quickly dismissed because Canada could have deposited the gold with the New York Federal Reserve for the account of Great Britain. [Charlton Standard Catalogue of Canadian Coins, W.K. Cross, p. 183, The Charlton Press, Toronto, Ontario, ISBN 0-88968-297-6]

References


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ottawa Mint sovereign — The Ottawa Mint sovereign is a British one pound coin (known as a sovereign) minted between 1908 and 1919 at the Ottawa Mint (known today as the Ottawa branch of the Royal Canadian Mint. This has augmented debate among Canadian numismatists… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (20th century) — One of the most highly profitable aspects of the Royal Canadian Mint’s enterprise is in its Numismatic product line.[1] One[who?] could argue that the first Numismatic coin from RCM was the 1935 dollar to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of His… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Canadian Mint — Infobox Government agency agency name = Royal Canadian Mint logo width = 250px logo caption = seal caption = formed = January 2, 1908 jurisdiction = Federal government of Canada headquarters = Ottawa, Ontario employees = Approx. 700 (2006) [… …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (2000s) — One of the most highly profitable aspects of the Royal Canadian Mint’s enterprise is in its Numismatic product line. [Royal Canadian Mint 2006 Annual Report, page 4] The euphoria surrounding the year 2000 led to the birth of the Millennium 25… …   Wikipedia

  • History of Canadian currency — Canada has an extensive history with regards to its currency. Beginning in the early 16th Century, items such as wampum and furs were actually considered currency. With the colonization of France and England, various coins were introduced in the… …   Wikipedia

  • Coins of the Canadian dollar — Canadian coinage is the coinage of Canada, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint and denominated in Canadian dollars ($) or cents (¢). Contents 1 Denominations 2 Changes in coinage 3 Production …   Wikipedia

  • Coins of the Newfoundland dollar — The coins of Newfoundland are of historical importance as Newfoundland was a British colony until 1907, and a Dominion until 1949, when Newfoundland and Labrador became the tenth province of Canada. See also: Newfoundland dollar Contents 1… …   Wikipedia

  • Currency Museum — Coordinates: 45°25′15″N 75°42′11″W / 45.42088°N 75.702968°W / 45.42088; 75.702968 …   Wikipedia

  • Newfoundland one cent — As Newfoundland did not join the Dominion of Canada until 1949, it had its own currency for many decades. It adopted its own decimal currency in 1863. Compared to other pre Confederation British colonies, it had a wide selection of decimal… …   Wikipedia

  • Banque du Canada — Bank of Canada Siège Ottawa, Ontario Coordonnées géographiques du siège …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”