Report on the Lasqueti Mint.

 

B.C.'s Salt Spring Island Issues $50 Silver Coin.

(from: Canadian Coin News , 9 Jan. 2007 , p.33

submitted by Tolling Jennings

 

(Illustration approximately 2x)

 

The Salt Spring Island Monetary Foundation (SSIMF) issued a new silver $50 coin on Dec. 1, struck by the Lasqueti Island-based Lasqueti Mint.

The obverse shows an artistic interpretation of a pair of orca, one of which is natural, and the other in the style of British Columbia coastal art. The date of 2007, SSIMF logo and denomination in Salt Spring Dollars ($50) are also found on the obverse.

The reverse depicts a mermaid holding an astrolobe, as well as the coin's fineness (.999), weight (a half-ounce) and the Lasqueti mint mark.

The coin's diameter is 29.8 millimetres.

The mintage is limited to 199 Proof pieces, and another 801 business strikes. According to the Lasqueti Mint, more of the latter may be struck to fulfil demand.

The coin is honoured by banks and businesses on Salt Spring Island , B.C., and the surrounding area.

The piece follows a successful scrip issued by the SSIMF five years ago.

For more information, visit www.saltspringdollars.com.
(Late breaking news; an MICC Journal exclusive: The Proof pieces are now all sold out and no more business strikes will be made. The mintage is now frozen at 199 Proofs and 801 business-strike BUs)

 

Lasqueti Mint Issues 10th Anniversary Commemorative

by Tolling Jennings , Lasqueti Mint

 

The Lasqueti Mint, located on a small off-grid island in the Strait of Georgia on British Columbia 's West Coast, is issuing the second hand-made coin in the "Cascadia" series. Cascadia is the geopolitical bioregion that runs down the west coast of North America from Alaska to Santa Cruz , California . This new offering is a 29.8mm, ½-oz., .999 fine silver coin struck piece that features a frosted obverse device of a "Western Tree Frog" perched on a branch peering into a pond with a brilliant mirror field. The legend "Lasqueti" is above and the commemorative dual date "1997-2007" is below. The reverse continues with the popular "Rufus Humming Bird" device, the legend "Cascadia" and the fineness, weight and mint mark found on the first coin in the continuing series. The issue is limited to 150 triple-struck Proofs that come packaged in capsules with a wet-signed numbered parchment certificate in an envelope. The first 150 frosted-date double-struck Britlliant Uncirculated pieces of open mintage reside in flips with numbered inserts. The remainder of the BU run will be issued in rolls of 10 each or in flips. The issue will be launched at the Vancouver Numismatic Society's spring show to run from March 31 to April 1. Issue price from the Mint for the Proofs is C$72.00 and for the BUs C$40.00 plus shipping. For more information contact Lasqueti Mint at lasquetimint@yahoo.ca or call 250-333-8868.

 

The Lasqueti Mint

(Two guys who make artisan, hand-struck, precious metal coins)

by Tolling Jennings - one of the guys.

 

One must have some understanding of the conditions and equipment at the Lasqueti Mint to truly appreciate the coins we turn out. I don't think one could choose a more disadvantageous situation than that found at the Mint for turning out truly beautiful works of art. Then, again, perhaps these conditions are exactly what are needed. The Mint is located on an island that is "off the grid", having no road access or car ferry. The buildings the Mint is housed in are primitive by most standards. The tractor shed where our smelting, sheering and machine maintainance takes place has no south wall. Most of our actual minting equipment is situated in a wash house / summer kitchen that is heated by the wood stove in the sauna, that is a small room in the back of the building. What power there is, is supplied by solar panels, a windmill or a 6kw diesel generator. The machines used in the actual production of the coins have to be classified as antiques. Our drop hammer was made in the 19th century with non-standard threads on all bolts! Our two fly presses were salvaged from shops that couldn't wait to get rid of them. And our arbor press was made in China and cost $75.00. Our pantograph was state of the art fifty years ago and the big lathe we use was old in the 1920s. We do have some small "state of the art" hand tools: very accurate scales, a microscope and engraving machines. We went to great lengths to assemble these tools, much to the amusement of the locals. You don't know what fun is until you load a 2,500-pound fly press off a barge, into a 12-foot aluminum skiff and head out to sea. Considering the conditions we work under and the equipment we use, each of our coins could be considered a small miracle. I look upon the minor imperfections on our coins as marks of originality. There is an old Sufi saying that "One tries for perfection and settles for what one gets". Each of our coins is unique. The coins from the Lasqueti Mint are truly magical and seem to bring joy and happiness to those who are fortunate enough to possess them.

Wayne Jacobs is a numismatic expert. Currently secretary and editor of the "Mid-Island Coin Club Numismatic Journal"of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island , British Columbia, he is the award winning author of numerous articles. The MICC journal are hosted here: MICC webpages Copyright 2006 Wayne Jacobs. This article may be reprinted freely for non commercial purpose only if the resource box is left intact, linking back to us.