A dynamic part of Canada’s cultural legacy is commemorated on coin with the Royal Canadian Mint’s release of the 2014 $20 75th Anniversary of The Royal Winnipeg Ballet Silver Coin.
Founded in 1939, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is considered one of the world’s premier dance companies. Aside from the many educational opportunities provided by the institution, the company tours with dozens of performances annually.
"As the Royal Winnipeg Ballet celebrates 75 years of bringing joy to audiences and dance enthusiasts alike, we continue to spark excitement and artistic innovation," said André Lewis, Artistic Director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. "This beautifully crafted coin by the Mint adds to an exciting year of performances and celebrations befitting Canada’s oldest ballet company."
Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall helped unveil the new coin on Wednesday, May 21, 2014, and was presented one by the Honorable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet Coin Designs and Specifications
The 2014 75th Anniversary of The Royal Winnipeg Ballet Silver Coin marks a pair of firsts for the Royal Canadian Mint — a new colorization technique and its presentation inside a music box.
Shown on the coin’s reverse is an engraved rendition of a photograph by David Cooper, considered one of Canada’s foremost dance photographers. It features an overhead view of six dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s lavish production of The Sleeping Beauty. An advanced and new “Sheer Effect” colorization technique has been applied to the dancer’s costumes to enhance the details.
Offered on the obverse is Susanna Blunt’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The effigy is surrounded by the inscriptions of ELIZABETH II, CANADA, 20 DOLLARS and 2014.
Coin specifications include a:
- Composition 99.99% pure silver
- Proof finish
- Weight of 31.6 grams
- Diameter of 40mm
- Serrated edge
- Certificate serialized
- $20 face value
Music Box
Each coin arrives in a music box that plays the Sleeping Beauty (Valse) melody by Tchaikovsky. Never before has a coin from the Royal Canadian Mint been issued in a music box.
Ordering
Mintage of the 75th Anniversary of Royal Winnipeg Ballet Silver Coin is limited to 7,500. It is available for CAD $114.95, or US $104.72.
Coins may be ordered from the Mint’s website at mint.ca or by following the affiliate link right here.
