Issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, gold and silver coins in larger than typical format commemorate the 100th anniversary of the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway.
The 2014 $250 Grand Trunk Pacific Railway 2 oz. Pure Gold Coin and 2014 $30 Grand Trunk Pacific Railway 2 oz. Fine Silver Coin share a reverse design emblematic of the historic and important nature of the railway to the development of the nation. Both are available in extremely limited mintages.
"(A) nation-building theme is celebrated in large scale as 2 oz. fine silver and pure gold coins designed by artist Joel Kimmel celebrate the 100th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, which was instrumental in the settling of Canada’s West," describes the Royal Canadian Mint in a news release.
Canadian artist Joel Kimmel’s reverse design features a 1914-era steam train as it crosses the Grand Trunk Bridge in Saskatoon. Pulled behind are elegant wooden passenger cars which serve as a reminder of the early railway’s transportation services in a developing nation. Shoreline foliage complete the image.
Inscriptions include CANADA, 2014 and the artist’s initials of JK. Also shown is the coin’s legal tender face value with 250 DOLLARS found on the gold issue and 30 DOLLARS on the silver piece.
An effigy of Queen Elizabeth II graces the obverse of both coins. Encircling the portrait are the inscriptions of ELIZABETH II and D G REGINA.
| $250 Grand Trunk Railway Gold Coin | $30 Grand Trunk Railway Silver Coin | |
| RCM Product Number | 134537 | 140578 |
| Mintage | 300 | 5,000 |
| Composition | 99.99% pure gold | 99.99% pure silver |
| Finish | proof | proof |
| Weight (g) | 62.34 | 62.67 |
| Diameter (mm) | 42 | 54 |
| Edge | serrated | |
| Certificate | serialized | |
| Face Value (CAD) | $250 | $30 |
| Reverse Artist | Joel Kimmel | |
| Obverse Artist | Susanna Blunt | |
As listed, mintages are 5,000 for the silver coin and just 300 for the gold coin.
Ordering
The pair of commemorative coins are available on the Royal Canadian Mint’s website at mint.ca, or by using this affiliate link to its new coin releases.
Gold coin pricing is CAD $5,199.95, or about US $4,573, with the silver coin available for CAD $169.95, or about US $150. For a limited time, ground shipping is free to Canada and the United States.
Coins arrive encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell display case with a black beauty box. A serialized certificate is also included.
That is a really pretty coin, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what RCM is doing with their weights and face values. They have quarter ounce silver worth $25. half ounce silver worth $10, their 1 oz. maple is $5, and they also have 1 oz. coins worth $50 and $100. Their 1.5 oz polar bear and arctic fox are $8. And right now on this coin, we have a 2 oz gold and and a 2oz silver coin. The price in dollars is 30 to 1, the face value is just north of 8 to… Read more »
I guess I should follow up with the fact that the US Mint has 25 cents on five ounce silver coins, but that is another discussion entirely.