US-Canada Pride of Two Nations Coin Set
The normally close relationship between America and its northern neighbor, Canada, has been under strain in recent years, with each country working from very different political playbooks. But in the coin world all is rosy, and to make that point the US Mint and the Royal Canadian Mint have got together for a first. They have created a two-coin set that combines an American Silver Eagle with a Canadian Silver Maple Leaf – both popular collector coins in their own right. To make the set special, each coin has a unique finish, exclusive to the set.
The finish on the Silver Eagle is an enhanced reverse proof with a frosted background and areas of frost and polish enhancing the design. The Silver Maple Leaf has a modified proof finish with frosted images on a polished background, and with the inscriptions also polished, rather than the more usual use of frosting for inscriptions. To enhance the collectible value, the US Mint is producing just 100,000 sets, and the Royal Canadian Mint just 10,000. The Canadian sales were completely sold out when released near the end of June, and the US sets went on sale July 3.
The American Silver Eagle has been made since 1986, and for this set the design is unmodified. The obverse is the Adolph A. Weinman ‘Walking Liberty’, showing a female personification of Liberty in full-length, striding forward into freedom. She is wrapped in folds of the American Flag. The image uses the flamboyant 19th century style of rendering fabrics. ‘Walking Liberty’ has been a clear favorite for coin design since it was first seen on the 1916 to 1947 half-dollar, which Weinman designed it for. Its popularity was of course why the Mint chose it when the American Silver Eagle was launched. In Liberty’s left hand there are laurel and oak branches, symbols of victory, endurance and strength – virtues needed to protect Liberty. The inscriptions are: 2019, LIBERTY, and IN GOD WE TRUST.
The reverse was designed by John Mercanti, showing an heraldic eagle behind a shield. There is an an olive branch in its right claws and arrows in its left, which are features from the Great Seal of the United States. Above the eagle are thirteen five-pointed stars, symbols of the original thirteen Colonies. Inscriptions on the reverse are; UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 1 OZ. FINE SILVER~ONE DOLLAR, and E PLURIBUS UNUM, and the mintmark, which for this special issue is ‘W’, which is the West Point minting facility.
The Canadian Silver Maple Leaf coin is a modified design based on the well-known Maple Leave coin. The obverse has an image of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Susanna Blunt. The profile is placed on a background of radiating lines, and there is a deep border of two rows of stars and two rows of maple leaves. The reverse is the classic leaf of the sugar maple – also seen on the Canadian flag – that was created by Walter Ott in 1979. The same background pattern of radiating lines, and the stars and maple leaves border is also used on this side. The inscriptions, ELIZABETH II, 5 DOLLARS, 2019 are on the obverse, with 9999, FINE SILVER, 1 OZ, ARGENT PURE on the reverse side.