Three new coins from the Royal Canadian Mint celebrate Christmas and the winter season.

The RCM on Oct. 11 launched the annual 50-cent lenticular coin, which has a Gifts From Santa theme for 2011.

Two Proof .9999 fine silver $10 coins, released Nov. 1, celebrate Wintertown and Little Skaters themes.

The two silver $10 coins feature designs by Virginia Boulay, a contemporary landscape artist, graphic designer and illustrator who lives in Alberta, Saskatchewan.

Three young skaters glide across a frozen landscape set against an idyllic, snowy winter scene on the Little Skaters coin. “Since ice-skating was first introduced to North America in the 18th century, learning to skate has been a coming-of-age ritual for millions of Canadian children,” according to the RCM.

Boulay shows “a sleepy snow-covered town” after the first snowfall of the season in a scene on the Wintertown coin.

The addition of painted green holly leaves and red berries at the lower left help frame the scenes.

The two silver $10 coins weigh 15.87 grams, measure 34 millimeters in diameter and have a mintage limit of 8,000 pieces per design. The coins cost $69.95 each.

Gifts from Santa coin

Those two coins follow the Oct. 11 launch of the annual 50-cent lenticular coin, with its 2011 Gifts from Santa theme.

Throughout North America and Europe, Santa Claus and his famous toy workshop are cornerstones of Christmas folklore and legend.

Thanks to the lenticular technology, alternating scenes of Santa are visible when the coin is tilted. One scene shows Santa reviewing his “naughty-or-nice” list while plotting his course, while the other scene shows Santa flying in a sleigh led by reindeer above a festively decorated house.

The fifth in an annual series of lenticular coins with a Christmas or winter theme, the 2011 edition is the first to feature copper-plating over steel.

The 50-cent coin weighs 12.61 grams, measures 35 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limited to demand. The coin costs $26.95.

The Susanna Blunt effigy appears on the obverse of all three coins.

Pricing, ordering

All prices are listed in Canadian funds.

United States distributors for the RCM carry the various coins at fixed prices in U.S. dollars.

Gatewest Coin Ltd., Brian Jenner Inc. and Talisman Coins are all official distributors for the RCM.

To contact Gatewest inside the United States, telephone the firm at 204-489-9112 or visit it online at www.gatewestcoin.com.

Write to Jenner at P.O. Box 2466-a, Pasco, WA 99302, or telephone him at 509-735-2172.

Visit Talisman at the firm’s website, www.talismancoins.com, telephone the company at 888-552-2646 or fax the business at 314-968-3801. ¦