Canada’s postal past is lined with philatelic gems that are a pictorial journey through time. The Royal Canadian Mint’s Historical Stamps series is a numismatic tribute to early 20th century stamp designs, with colourful reproductions engraved within the “perforated” edges that transform this rectangular coin into a stamp-shaped one. The is the third and final coin in the series and weighs just over one ounce of pure silver with a limited mintage of just 5,000. HST/GST exempt.

The Design:
Engraved on the stamp-shaped reverse is a detailed reproduction of a Canadian special delivery stamp issued on July 1, 1942, to highlight Canada’s involvement in the Allied cause during the Second World War. The 10-cent denomination stamp was designed by Herman Herbert Schwartz and originally engraved by Silas Robert Allen, as evidenced by the horizontal lines that are indicative of traditional intaglio printing or line engraving. The pictorial collage features the former Arms of Canada within a shield atop a bough of maple leaves and flanked by four flags that represent Canada’s different military contributions. An application of modern colour mimics the deep bright green colour of the original issue, which had an inscribed denomination of “10 CENTS”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.