Symbolism in the Series IV 1975 Olympic Coins.

 

Beginning in 1973, The Royal Canadian Mint was part of a project to help defray costs of the 21st Olympiad to be held in the summer of 1976 in Montreal . Their contribution consisted of some of the profits from an extended series of special coins struck to commemorate the event. In all, there were seven series of silver coins, each consisting of two each $5 and $10 denomination (28 in all) as well as two similar-design $100 coins in 1976 in 14K and 22K gold.

 

By series, the silver pieces were released in a number of different forms: as single pieces encapsulated in "pill-box" type styrene holders; as set-of-4 encapsulated; as single coins in a black case with red interior; as 4-coin "custom sets" in black case with red insert; as 4-coin "prestige sets" in black leatherette case with blue insert; and as 4-coin "Deluxe Proof sets" housed in white birch cases with tanned steer hide covers and black inserts. All except the last were in "specimen strikes", the proofs being the first issued by a Canadian mint. All were struck at the RCM "satellite mint" across the river in Hull , Quebec and the special proof presses were especially acquired for these coins. A slight exception to the above was the fact that a limited number of Series 1 coins were supplied to banks and financial institutions "loose" and paid out at face. However tenuous, this established the fact that the coins were indeed "legal tender", but it was never done again, all coins sold at a premium over face from then on. And as the bullion price of silver continued to rise during the 1970s, all prices went up.

 

By the time the Olympic coins appeared, the Royal Canadian Mint, now a crown corporation, went into "secrecy mode". Mintage reports simply give an overall number for denomination/year so even though many years had two or more series, two of the same denomination per series and a number of different release styles, we have no idea as to breakdown. And probably never will. The Series IV, for instance, was released on 12 August 1975 - but Series III appeared on 16 April and Series V on 1 December of the same year. We only know that 4,952,433 of the $10 and 3,970,000 of the $5 in total were issued that year - and even these figures might not entirely coincide with those of the post office sales for that year.

 

In invitational competition, the reverse designs were won by an Algonquin: Leo Yerxa. All four coins depict a First Nation competing in a given event, the engraving of both $5 reverses by Walter Ott and the $10 reverses by Patrick Brindley. What is often overlooked is that all these reverses include standard Algonquin designs, originally developed for quillwork and each appropriate to the subject depicted.

 

In order we have:

 

$5: Marathon Runner $5: Women's Javelin

 

The $5 Marathon Runner includes two stylized quill-work birds in migratory flight, suggestive of the energy and stamina required of the runners. The $5 Women's Javelin includes a flight of stylized spearheads, suggesting that of the thrown javelin.

 

$10: Women's Shot Put $10: Men's Hurdles

 

The $10 Women's Shot Put shows a stylized flaming path of the sun across the sky, suggesting the flight of the shot put itself. The $10 Men's Hurdles is rather harder to determine but in fact depicts a stylized deer leaping over obstacles in the forest in much the same way the competitor will clear the hurdles.

As is often true, there may be more than meets the eye.

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.