Royal Canadian Mint reports another strong quarter for collector coins in third quarter financial report

OTTAWA, Nov. 26, 2014 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian ‎Mint today released its third quarter financial report that showed consolidated revenues of $500.5 million in the 13 weeks ended September 27, 2014, and consolidated profit before taxes declining 34.4% to $8.2 million from $12.5 million in the same period in 2013. While the drop in consolidated profit reflects the shift in investor sentiment to equity markets and away from physical assets, the Mint reported strong sales of its world renowned collector coins.

"The demand for our numismatic and collector coins persists and the Mint continues to innovate to bring Canadians and international customers a range of themes and unique designs," said Marc Brûlé, Interim President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.  "The exquisite craftsmanship of these coins demonstrates the Mint's renowned talent and skills which support our vision to be the best mint in the world."

Sales of Silver Maple Leaf (SML) coins declined to 5.4 million ounces from 6.7 million ounces in the same period last year.  The decline in Gold Maple Leaf (GML) coin sales reflects a shift in investor sentiment away from physical assets to the equity markets. GML sales declined 29.7% to 137 thousand ounces compared to 195 thousand ounces in the same period in 2013. 

Demand continues to build for the Mint's numismatic products, with revenue increasing 16.5% to $42.5 million in the 13 weeks ended September 27, 2014 from $38.8 million in the same period in 2013.

The Mint issued 80 new products during the quarter compared to 52 in the same period last year.  There were 19 sell-outs during the quarter compared to 16 in the same period in 2013. The most popular coins during the quarter were premium coins as well as coins that are unique, particularly those with sophisticated technology.

The Mint sold 402.0 million coins and blanks to nine countries in the 13 weeks ended September 27, 2014 compared to 595.7 million coins and blanks shipped to nine countries in 2013. Foreign business line revenue declined 24.3% to $13.1 million in the quarter from $17.3 million in the same period in 2013.

Other notable Mint achievements in the third quarter include:

• The release of popular products including a one-kilo pure gold Year of the Sheep coin, a set of three coins featuring images from well-known Emily Carr works of art and four Superman™ coins that sold out in less than three days.
• The Mint released two face value silver coins – "$50 for $50" Snowy Owl and "$200 for $200" Towering Forests. This program continues to generate significant demand and has proven to be very successful in building the Mint's customer base.
• The Mint produced bronze-plated coin blanks using a proprietary non-cyanide diffusion process. A world first, this is the only commercial option to meet growing market demand for the environmentally-friendly production of yellow coins.

To read more of the Mint's third quarter financial report, please visit www.mint.ca.

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.  

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint

Alex Reeves, Senior Manager, Communications, Tel: [phone], [email protected]

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