Royal Canadian Mint celebrates 100th anniversary of the Canadian Figure Skating Championships with fine silver collector coin

OTTAWA, Jan. 8, 2014 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is inviting Canadians and coin collectors around the world to celebrate the joy of a Canadian winter rite of passage with a new heart-warming fine silver coin.  The coin is being launched as Skate Canada celebrates 100 years of figure skating championships in Canada in Ottawa January 9-15, 2014.

"This collector coin celebrates the achievements that Skate Canada has made over the past century in providing Canadians the opportunity to participate in skating throughout their lifetime for fun, fitness, and achievement," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "A special thanks to Skate Canada for their assistance with this coin and on behalf of all employees at the Mint, congratulations on celebrating 100 years of figure skating championships in Canada."

The coin's reverse image by Canadian artist Tony Harris features a full-colour portrait of a man teaching a young child to skate on an outdoor rink in winter. A young girl in a dark pink coat and helmet, bundled in her mitts and snow pants and donning her first pair of skates, smiles widely as the man behind her holds her hands to keep her upright; dressed in dark blue outerwear, a red toque and white-laced black hockey skates, he coaxes her shakily forward on the smooth surface of the outdoor rink. The background includes a snowy street lined with brick houses dotted with snow-covered evergreens. A bright blue sky dotted with soft grey clouds rises above the touching scene.

The $10 fine silver coin "Learning to Skate" has a limited mintage of 10,000 and retails for $64.95.  It can be ordered directly from the Mint as of January 14th at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the Internet at www.mint.ca. The coin will also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.  

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit www.mint.ca.

Images of this coin are available by visiting ftp://communications:[email protected].

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint

Christine Aquino, Director, Communications and Public Affairs, Telephone: [phone], [email protected]