The Forgotten 1927 Designs

The Forgotten 1927 Designs, Pure Silver 3-Coin Set from the Royal Canadian Mint with limited mintage of 5,500 (World Wide). All three coins feature the unused circulation coin designs intended to commemorate Canadas Diamond Jubilee in 1927! The RCM launched a redesign contest for its circulating coinage in May 1927. The contest included the one cent, five cents, ten cents and 25 cents denominations. Each of these sketches was submitted to the RCM as part of the contest and each was selected as the winner for its given denomination. None of the submissions for the 10-cent denomination were deemed worthy of being selected. Each winning artist received $500 for his efforts.

The one-cent coin features an Art Nouveau-inspired design by Canadian artist Gustav Hahn (1866-1962), with a bough of maple leaves encircling the commemorative dates 1867-2017.

The five-cent coin by Canadian artist J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932) features a crowned lion gripping a maple leaf in his paw as it stands perched on a rock, which represents the changing Canadian landscape cradled by the sea. Beneath the lion’s forepaw is Canada’s motto, A MARI USQUE AD MARE (“From Sea to Sea”), while the commemorative dates 1867 and 2017 are inscribed above the lion.

A second design by MacDonald graces the 25-cent coin. It focuses on a majestic view of the iconic Peace Tower on Parliament Hill. The clock tower soars high above the clouds, surrounded by a ribbon-wrapped wreath of laurel leaves, from which hangs four bells – an ode to the Dominion Carillon, which was inaugurated on July 1, 1927, during the Diamond Jubilee festivities. Each bell bears engraved numbers that combine to form the commemorative dates 1867 and 2017.