The Confederation Medals of 1927.

    The Golden Jubilee of Confederation in 1917 went practically unmarked since the country was in the depths of the First World War. Only a postage stamp was issued to officially mark the event.

    But the sixtieth year – the Diamond Jubilee – of 1927 received a lot more attention, even to there being a semi-official “Jubilee National Committee” set up. As a sort of icing to the cake, the Prince of Wales – the future Edward VIII – was present in Ottawa for the July 1 celebrations.

    But there was a determination to bring all Canadians in as part of the event and for the first time, a commemorative medal was struck and a copy presented to every school child in the country.

    Shown below, enlarged to about twice actual size, is the small “school child’s medal”. On the obverse is shown the superimposed uncrowned head of George V over that of Victoria. The reverse shows the crowned arms of Canada, quarterly consisting of emblems of the founding races: leopards (England); lion (Scotland); harp (Ireland) and fleurs-de-lys (Royalist France) while below is a three-leaf sprig of maple, emblematic of Canada herself. The whole is enclosed within a wreath of maple leaves with the national motto “A Mari Usque ad Mare” (“From sea unto sea”) superimposed on the bottom. There is one slight discrepancy on the reverse: it shows the Imperial Crown whereas, properly speaking, it should have been the Royal Crown (such as appears on the 50-cent after 1958).

    The medal was struck in “coinage bronze” and measured an even inch in diameter. It was struck at the Royal Canadian Mint (at the time “Royal Mint – Ottawa Branch”) from dies supplied by the Jubilee National Committee. According to Bob Willey (“Dictionary of Canadian Medallists”) the dies were cut by the firm of Pritchard & Andrews Co. of Ottawa. A total of 2,152,892 were struck of “Medal # 271” but 35,628 were either returned or unissued and melted, leaving a total issue of 2,117,264.

 

    There were also “Educational Medals” issued during 1927 for scholastic achievement. These were essentially the same in design as the “School Child’s Medal” except in “finer detail” and were larger, all being 1.43” in diameter. They were issued in three metals, all struck from the same dies. Like the smaller medals, they were struck at the Mint from dies supplied by the Jubilee National Committee manufactured by Pritchard & Andrews Co. By metal, they were:

    Coinage Bronze (“Medal # 272), each weighing .062 pounds Avoirdupois. Two thousand were originally struck but only 1,840 were distributed, the rest returned and melted.

    Fine Silver (“Medal # 273”), each weighing 1.42 Troy ounce. Six hundred were made but only 548 issued, the rest melted.

      Gold (75% gold – 15% silver – 10% copper), (“Medal # 274”). They weigh 1.510 Troy ounce each. Eighty-one were struck but only 58 issued, the rest returned and melted.

    The final medal, again struck in three different metals from the same dies, was for presentation purposes other than scholastic. It displayed by far the best workmanship but that was realized at the cost of being late. The Mint Report for 1927 (drawn up and published in early 1928) makes no mention of it; that has to wait for another year. Therefore we assume that they were not presented until some time in 1928.

 

    The obverse is by the British sculptor Percy Metcalfe. The reverse had the master die sunk by Raymond Delamarre of the Paris Mint (his name appears in full on the lower reverse slab) from a sketch by Canadian artist C.W. Jeffreys. The standing female allegory with arms outstretched (Canada?) has wheat and maple leaves at her feet while behind is a map of the country with “Cartier” and “Champlain” in the east and “Vancouver” and “Cook” in the west. Incused below is “1867 – 1927” and around is the motto of Canada.

     The master tools as supplied to Ottawa were made at the Royal Mint, London, but all these medals were struck in Ottawa. In all three metals, the medals were of the same size: 2.953” in diameter by .197” thick. In order by metal they were:

    Tombac (88% copper – 12% zinc). (“Medal # 275). Each weighed .37 pound Avoirdupois. Six hundred were struck.

    Fine Silver. (“Medal # 276”) Each weighed 6.81 Troy ounce.  126 were struck.

    Fine gold. (“Medal # 277”). Each weighed a reported 18.474 Troy ounce (but 8.474 ounce seems more like it). Only six were struck.

    There is no record of any having been returned, remaining unissued or melted.

 

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.