Let’s see your Canadian coins!

asheland

I just got this a couple of days ago, it’s a very pleasing example, to me at least.

Let’s see your Canadian coins!

syl

The voyageur dollars were all wonderful coins and usually well struck and a GREAT design. Nice coin!

asheland

@syl said:
The voyageur dollars were all wonderful coins and usually well struck and a GREAT design. Nice coin!

I agree and thanks! 👍

asheland

I will also post the gold, I’m trying to complete the $5 and $10 set.
All three fives:

Only one $10 so far:

asheland

And this sovereign, and that’s about it already outside of some modern stuff.

pruebas

What was the nominal value of a Sovereign in Canada back in the day when gold “circulated?” It seems out of place in a decimal system.

carabonnair

@pruebas said:
What was the nominal value of a Sovereign in Canada back in the day when gold “circulated?” It seems out of place in a decimal system.

I don't have a reference, but seem to remember it was ½d sterling to 1¢ Canadian, so a sovereign was $4.80. I could be wrong...

SaorAlba

D808LF

erwindoc

These are some of my favorite 25c pieces!

erwindoc

Some of my favorite 10c pieces...

asheland

Nice coins everybody!

erwindoc

Bought these 2 recently...

bosox

Sovereigns, even Canadian ones were Imperial coins. Like the Australian mints, Ottawa minted them as one way to monetize the Canadian gold production. Before WWI, one pound sterling = $4.86 and 2/3 Canadian.

pruebas

@bosox said:
Sovereigns, even Canadian ones were Imperial coins. Like the Australian mints, Ottawa minted them as one way to monetize the Canadian gold production. Before WWI, one pound sterling = $4.86 and 2/3 Canadian.

That begs the question, why not just monetize the gold with $5 or $10 Federal coins? Why make “Commonwealth coins” (if they could be called that) at all?

What actually happened with Canadian Sovereigns once minted? I can’t imagine that banks wanted them.

bosox

I do not think they circulated much. I think the government and the banks used them, and other gold coins, as part of their gold reserves. Banks back then were required to maintain gold reserves for their liabilities, including the banknotes they issued.

The Canadian sovereigns were first minted in 1908 and continued until 1919. I think when they minted $5 and $10 gold coins in 1912 and 1914, many of them went to reserves also, which is why the Bank of Canada "found" many thousands of them in mint state a few years ago.

I can also tell you from other research I have done (I have never looked into the gold specifically, but have some knowledge from osmosis), the Royal Mint correspondence files contain many letters documenting that they periodically sent 10,000, 20,000, or more, British sovereigns to their Dominions and colonies to replenish the gold reserves.

As to what eventually happened to them, I am guessing that many were melted when the world went off the gold standard and gold reserve standards were no longer as stringent. It also would not surprise me if the Canadian or some European government "found" a bunch tomorrow.

asheland

One of the sovereigns made its way to my house.

YQQ

and some to my house