Royal Canadian Mint issues Armistice $2 coin
- Published: Oct 29, 2018, 6 AM

A new circulating $2 commemorative coin in Canada celebrates the end of World War I.
The 2018 coin is available in a plain version and one with color applied.
The Armistice coin recalls the signing of the historic peace treaty ending World War I on Nov. 11, 1918, a crucial event in Canadian and world history.
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“For a nation of eight million people, Canada’s efforts in the First World War were remarkable,” said Bill Morneau, minister of Finance, in a press release. “More than 650,000 Canadian men and women served in uniform during the First World War, with more than 12,000 comrades from Newfoundland and Labrador also answering the call to arms.”
Designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw, the reverse of this coin depicts a poignant pairing of two symbols of remembrance.
Within the inner core, a soldier’s “Brodie” helmet represents the end of the First World War and serves as a solemn reminder of the many lives lost during this unprecedented conflict. Below the helmet lies a large poppy, the official bloom of remembrance inspired by the Canadian poem “In Flanders Fields.” Its bright scarlet color is recreated on selectively colored versions of the coin. Two more poppies are engraved on the outer ring, which includes a banner bearing the bilingual words REMEMBER, SOUVENIR and the year 2018.
The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt in 2003.
Limited to a mintage of 3 million coins (2 million selectively colored and 1 million unpainted), the $2 circulation coin commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armistice is now in general circulation and will be available through public coin exchanges to be announced soon (limited to Canada only).
The colored version of the $2 circulation coin is available in a special wrapped roll of 25 $2 circulation coins, in which roughly half are of the colored version.
Additional collector products featuring the coins are also available online, and through the RCM’s international network of distributors, including Canada Post.
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