Canada: New silver and colour coin highlights Niagara Falls winter lights and launches new series

The Royal Canadian Mint has launched (8th January) new celebratory coins which not only highlights one of Canada’s most world-renowned landmarks, but they launch a new 12-coin series entitled “Celebrating Canadian Fun and Festivities.”

Canada’s foremost illumination festival in Niagara Falls began in 1925, the annual Winter Festival of Lights celebrations transforms Niagara Falls into a palette of breath-taking colour with millions of sparkling lights and animated displays located within Niagara Parks, Dufferin Islands, and the surrounding tourism districts. The famous falls are lit up every evening beginning at dusk, which, depending upon the time of year, is typically 5:00 p.m. in January and after 8:00 p.m. in July. They are occasionally lit in custom colours to mark a special occasion or are lit in support of a charitable cause. Niagara Falls is an especially sought-after place to welcome in the New Year as the colours and atmosphere are virtually unmatched anywhere else on the planet.

The natural phenomenon of Niagara Falls is simply awe-inspiring. During peak hours, more than 168,000,000 litres (44,380,904 gallons) of water per minute pour over the Falls at a speed of 109 kilometres (65 miles) per hour. Amazingly, the horseshoe-shaped falls do not typically freeze over in winter, but one documented exception claimed the falls stopped flowing once in March 1848 when an ice jam in the upper river temporarily stopped the flow of water. During particularly cold temperatures, the mist and spray begin to form a crust of ice over top of the rushing water, making it appear as though the falls have, in fact, stopped. However, the water continues to flow underneath the sheets of ice.

Designed by Canadian artist Steve Hepburn, this coin is struck using a Reverse Proof technique and its design is presented in full colour, featuring a fireworks display on a January night, just above a side view of the brilliantly lit Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The image is framed by stylised icons that represent popular outdoor activities and sights in Canada. From clockwise at the top is shown the Niagara Falls winter lights, a Christmas tree, the rodeo, wine tasting, dogsledding, folk music, a cherry blossom, the maple syrup industry, whale watching, tulips, coastal drive, and the aurora borealis.

The obverse features the year 2019 and face value 3 DOLLARS, and the framed effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt that has been included on all circulating and many commemorative Canadian coins since 2003.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Maximum Mintage
Three dollars	.999 silver	7.9 g	27 mm	Reverse Proof	4,000

The stylised icons represent each month’s theme of the additional 11 coins. Together, these engraved symbols form a frame that is the common design featured on all 12 coins in this series. The additional coins are:

• Dog-sledding

• Maple Syrup Tasting

• Cherry Blossom

• Tulips

• Coastal Drive

• Rodeo

• Folk Music

• Wine Tasting

• Whale Watching

• Aurora Borealis

• Christmas Tree. This final coin in the monthly series will be offered free of charge for those who sign up to this programme as a subscription (available in Canada and the U.S. only). 

For additional information about this coin and others available from the Royal Canadian Mint, please visit their website.

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