Tokyo, Japan – With a little over one year to go before the next Olympic Games, Taisei Coins Corporation is excited to be the authorized distributor of the Royal Canadian Mint’s Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games commemorative coins in Japan.
Taisei Coins today introduced its impressive offering of Royal Canadian Mint coins at a press conference hosted by the Canadian Embassy to Japan. By February 2010, the Mint will have issued thirty-six limited mintage collector coins and sets and put into circulation 17 coins in Canada featuring designs related to the 2010 Winter Games. This is the most extensive coin program in relation to the Olympic Games ever conceived by any mint worldwide.
"Through this extensive coin program, the Mint’s goal is to ignite the spirit of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "We expect that collectors from Japan and around the world will forever treasure these precious and elegant reminders of the Royal Canadian Mint’s celebration of an exceptional moment in Canadian sporting history."
"The Royal Canadian Mint’s Vancouver 2010 Winter Games coin program is one of the most diversified in the history of numismatics," said Mr. Masahiro Oka, President of Taisei Coins Corporation. "All collectors can find a coin that appeals to them and all of the Mint’s Vancouver 2010 numismatic products can make a precious addition to anyone’s coin collection."
The Mint’s first Vancouver 2010 Winter Games collector and circulation coins were issued in February 2007. All issues symbolize Canada’s heritage, culture and values through unique and inspiring coin designs.
The proof silver hologram commemorative coins with a $25 face value represent the most extensive series within the Mint’s Vancouver 2010 Winter Games commemorative coin program. From 2007 to 2010, fifteen different designs celebrating winter sports and the Olympic spirit will be issued. Each issue is struck in a very low mintage of only 45,000 coins worldwide and, as a world first for the Olympic Movement, these coins feature a stunning hologram.
Nine dazzling 14-karat gold coins add their own prestige to the Mint’s Vancouver 2010 Winter Games commemorative coin program. With a colour-enhanced design featuring themes such as Canadian wildlife, culture and the Olympic spirit, the application of colour to gold coins represents another first for the Royal Canadian Mint. These beautiful coins are limited to a worldwide mintage of only 8,000.
These are just a few examples of numismatic innovations offered by the Royal Canadian Mint. Over the three-year program, breathtaking one-kilo gold and silver coins, premium 50 mm gold coins and silver 25-cent coins, among many other exquisite products, will be issued.
Taisei’s initial offering to its customers will include the Mint’s 2008 issues from the $25 Vancouver 2010 sterling silver, $75 Vancouver 2010 colourized gold and $250 Silver Kilo coin series. Other coins celebrating the approaching Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver will be added to Taisei Coins’ portfolio as the world counts down to Vancouver 2010. Taisei Coins is the authorized distributor of the Royal Canadian Mint’s official Vancouver 2010 commemorative coins in Japan.
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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 9001-2000 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.
The Mint is an Official Supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and has undertaken to produce the most extensive circulation coin program in relation to the Olympic Games ever conceived by any mint worldwide, while also offering limited mintage collector coins and sets. Visit www.mint.ca/2010 for Vancouver 2010 keepsakes and gifts.
