This 2017 $50 fine silver coin celebrates the 90th anniversary of the Peace Tower Clock.  This unique coin features two movable gears, both  having the same number of teeth as their real-life counterparts, and are made from oxidized copper that originally clad the roofs of the Parliament Buildings. It’s a tangible piece of Canada’s architectural history.  To preserve its historical value, the copper has not been melted down: any colour variations or markings occurred naturally during its time on the roofs of Parliament Hill—they also help to make each coin unique.  Applied by hand, the coin’s antique finish enhances the precision engraving and gives it an aged look that reflects 90 years of history. Limited mintage of only 1,200 coins. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, this coin is HST/GST exempt.

At the stroke of noon on July 1, 1927, the Peace Tower Clock made its debut during Confederation’s Diamond Jubilee. Now, 90 years later, the commanding timepiece and its copper-clad apex are the pride of Canada! 

The Design:

The reverse design by Canadian artist Calder Moore features an antique finish that brings an aged elegance to this depiction of the Peace Tower Clock. Precision engraving re-creates one of the four identical faces that grace each side of the iconic clock tower, which rises up high above Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. The Roman numerals, minute markers and geometric-inspired center pattern are all beautifully and faithfully reproduced on the reverse; in fact, the only engraved addition is the widening of the center’s circular frame to include the engraved words “CANADA”, the year “2017” and the face value, “50 DOLLARS”. 

The clock’s hands are attached to the center of the coin, and provide an immobile base for the two gear wheels that provide a glimpse at a clock’s inner workings. They are exact replicas of two of the clock’s gears, albeit on a smaller scale: the larger wheel has 90 teeth while the smaller pinion has 32. For added historical value, these cogs are fashioned from copper that once clad the roofs of Canada’s Parliament Buildings—any colour variations or markings have been preserved to make each coin unique. Both gears are also affixed in a way that makes it possible for them to be manually rotated. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.