Beautiful World Coins

Anne of Green Gables on Commemorative Coin and Stamps

Anne of Green Gables is a book published in 1908 by the Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (1874-1942) recounting the childhood adventures of a spirited, red-haired orphan named Anne Shirley. Inspired by her life on Prince Edward Island, Montgomery had been writing poems and stories since her childhood. The Anne of Green Gables series is made up of 8 books: Anne of Green Gables (1908), Anne of Avonlea (1909), Anne of the Island (1915), Anne's House of Dreams (1917), Rainbow Valley (1919), Rilla of Ingleside (1921), Anne of Windy Poplars (1936), and Anne of Ingleside (1939). The books were also made into television programs and movies both in Canada and the United States.

The Royal Canadian Mint and Canada Post celebrate the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first novel in the very popular Anne of Green Gables series with a commemorative coin and two commemorative stamps. The oversized 25-cent coin features a portrait of Anne Shirley by accomplished illustrator Ben Stahl. One stamp shows the same portrait of Anne Shirley, and the other one shows her beloved Green Gables house.

The coin:

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2008

Face value: 25 Cents

Finish: Specimen (with colored reverse)

Composition: Three-ply nickel finish plated steel

Size: 35 mm

Weight: 12.61 grams

Mintage: N/A

The souvenir sheet of 2 stamps:

Date of Issue: 6/20/2008

Size: 125 mm x 78 mm (Horizontal)

Printing Process: Lithography in 7 colors

Quantity: 350,000

Denomination: 2 x 52 Cents

The Royal Canadian Mint centennial commemorative silver coin and stamp set

The Royal Canadian Mint is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2008. To commemorate this historical event, the RCM just issued a unique coin and stamp set featuring a double-dated (1908-2008) silver proof replica of the 1908 fifty-cent piece, Canada’s first domestically-produced coin. Before that, Canadian coins were minted in Great Britain. The obverse of this 2008 commemorative coin shows the effigy of His Majesty King Edward VII.

The stamp included in this set shows the 1908 50-cent coin featuring a crown and a border of maple leaves. This commemorative domestic rate (52¢) stamp was issued on June 4, 2008 by Canada Post. Looking at this high-relief stamp gives a really good impression of the original coin because of the way the image of the coin is embossed.

The coin:

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2008

Face value: 50 Cents

Finish: Proof

Composition: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper

Size: 29.72 mm

Weight: 11.62 grams

Mintage: 16,000

The stamp:

Date of Issue: 06/04/2008

Size: 34 x 45 mm (Vertical)

Printing Process: Lithography in 6 colors and embossing

Quantity: 2,000,000

Denomination: 52 Cents

The 400th Anniversary of Quebec City on coins and stamps

Quebec City was founded on July 3, 1608 by the French explorer Samuel de Champlain, who established a settlement at Kébec, an Algonquin word meaning “place where the river narrows”. Quebec City's Old Town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only walled city on the continent. It was built by both French and British armies, and is now a tourist district with small boutiques and hundreds of historical and photographic points of interest. The last time I went to Quebec City's Old Town, I visited a traditional glass-blowing workshop where I saw a craftsman at work producing decorative bottles.

To celebrate the 400th Anniversary of Quebec City, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a 2008 silver proof dollar coin featuring Samuel de Champlain with the habitation he built at the foot of Cap-aux-Diamants at Kébec. There's also a proof coin with selective gold plating on both sides available in the 2008 proof coin set.

The RCM has also struck a 2008 commemorative 2-dollar circulation coin. Its design features the encounter between Samuel de Champlain's vessel and the two shores of the St-Lawrence River, which are represented by two of a fleur-de-lys' petals.

Canada Post recently issued a 2008 commemorative stamp celebrating the 400th anniversary of the founding of Québec City, a joint issue with France's La Poste.

Mint: Ottawa

Year: 2008

Face value: 1 dollar, 2 dollars

Finish: Proof (dollar coin), brilliant uncirculated (Quebec City coin)

Composition: 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper (dollar coin), Ring: 99+% Nickel, Core: 92% Copper, 6% Aluminium, 2% Nickel (Quebec City coin)

Size: 36.07 mm (dollar coin), 28.03 mm (Quebec City coin)

Weight: 25.175 grams (dollar coin), 7.3 grams (Quebec City coin)

Mintage: 65,000 (silver dollar coin), 60,000 (silver and gold dollar coin), 2,000,000 (Quebec City coin)