Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins (20th century)
- Please see Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins for any numismatic coins made during the 2000s
- Please see Royal Canadian Mint numismatic coins for any numismatic coins made during the 2010s
- Please see Canadian Silver Maple Leaf for any Coloured or Hologram Maple Leaf coins
- Please see Royal Canadian Mint Olympic Coins for Olympic themed numismatic coins
Olympic coins
Most numismatists agree that the first true numismatic collection was the Olympic Five and Ten Dollar coins for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. Starting in 1973, the RCM issued four coin sets. At the behest of the Federal Government, led by then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau, it was agreed that these coins would help finance while commemorate the 1976 Summer Olympics. The plan was to have thirty coins, twenty-eight silver coins with face values of $5 and $10, and two gold coins with face values of $100. They are the first of the Modern Olympic coins with face values of one hundred dollars. Due to the incredibly high mintage, these coins have no investment value whatsoever. Most of these coins today are usually sold for their silver content.After the Olympic coin venture, the numismatic line expanded to include $100 Gold coins. These were premium coins that sold for higher than face value. The common issue price from 1977 to 1979 ranged from $140 to $180. The cases for these coins tended to be brown or black leatherette cases with maroon or blue inserts, and a Certificate of Authenticity. Of all these coins, the only one that had any significant increase in value on the secondary market was the 2002 Alberta Strikes Oil coin.
Heading into the 1980s, the Olympics would return to Canada. The city of Calgary would host the 1988 Winter Olympics. Starting in 1985, the Federal Government, under the leadership of then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, issued a ten coin set to help finance and commemorate the Olympic games. These coins were issued in Proof quality only, and were sold with the partnership of the Royal Bank of Canada. Part of the agreement with Royal Bank was that these coins could be redeemed for their face value. Unlike the Montreal coins, mintage was limited to 5,000,000 coins and this would mark the first time that any silver coin had edge lettering on it. Said lettering was 'XV OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES - JEUX D'OLYMPIQUES D'HIVER.'
On February 23, 2007, the Royal Canadian Mint held a press conference in Calgary, Alberta to announce the release of the Vancouver Olympic commemorative coins. The newest denomination for the Vancouver Olympic coins is twenty-five dollars. The twenty-five dollar coins are the first Modern Olympic coins ever to have a hologram on the reverse.
Birth of luxury coins
Expansion in the numismatic line was a key element of the 1990s. The first significant sign was the birth of the Two Hundred Dollar Gold coins. Starting in 1990, this coin was sold for a higher price than its face value. The first coin commemorated the Silver Jubilee of Canada's flag and sold for $395.00. The superstar of this collection would be the Canadian Native Cultures and Traditions coins. These coins were minted from 1997 to 2000. The Haida coin has been an award-winning coin for the RCM taking the Best Coin Award at the 1997 Singapore International Coin Show.This was only the beginning for the RCM. The advent of the Two Hundred Dollar Gold series was quickly joined by a Platinum series. These high quality collector coins solidified the RCM's entry into the luxury coin market. A four coin set with face values of $30, $75, $150, and $300 respectively were complemented by the high quality artwork that adorned these luxury items. Famed artists such as Robert Bateman and Glen Loates contributed to these collections with polar bear and bird designs. The issue price for these collections was around $1,990 and the casing was a walnut or burgundy case with a black suede four hole insert and a Certificate of Authenticity.
Expansion and innovation
A long overdue project was launched in 1995 when 50-cent coins became part of the numismatic line. For decades, 50-cent coins were part of the standard sets but were never really marketed as their own numismatic product. Truly a favourite among collectors, the Discovering Nature Series marked the first numismatic coins with a face value of 50 cents. Marketed as a 32-coin set with one set released on an annual basis, the decade would close with another 50-cent series. A coin set to honour Canadian sports first was released.The decade also saw the birth of several new coin series which used innovative techniques that had never been before. These techniques were the use of a gold cameo in the coin. The first set that was part of this great innovation was the Aviation Collection, which debuted in 1990. The Canadian aviation heroes were commemorated on a 20-coin set. Every coin in the collection consisted of a 24-karat, gold-covered oval cameo portrait of an aviation hero—a first for the Royal Canadian Mint. The coin itself featured a different plane ranging from the Gypsy Moth to the legendary Avro Arrow. These were proof coins while the case of issue was an aluminum case in the shape of a wing.
A new coin series which not only increased awareness in the RCM but acknowledged Canada's cultural differences was launched near the end of the decade. The Chinese Lunar New Year Collection debuted in 1998 with the Year of the Tiger coin. The centre featured the fierce Tiger in a gold plated cameo while the rim found the Tiger surrounded by all twelve animal zodiacs. All the images from this collection are courtesy of artist Harvey Chan. With a face value of $15, this set ended in 2009 with the Year of the Ox.
In 1999, the Mint celebrated twenty years of the $100 Maple Leaf coin by issuing coins with a hologram, struck directly onto the coin's surface, rather than as a separate step.
Chinese Lunar New Year Coin Series
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1998 | Year of the Tiger | Harvey Chan | 68,888 | $68.88 |
| 1999 | Year of the Rabbit | Harvey Chan | 77,791 | $72.88 |
Commemorative Silver Dollar Series
1935-1980
1981-1999
1981 was the first year that the RCM issued two different qualities of silver dollars. One version was the Proof, which composed of a frosted relief against a parallel lined background. The second version was the Brilliant Uncirculated. The finish is classified as a brilliant relief on a brilliant background.| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1981 | Canadian Pacific Railway Centennial | Christopher Gorey | 353,742 | $18.00 | 148,647 | $14.00 |
| 1982 | Regina Centennial | Huntley Brown | 577,959 | $15.25 | 144,989 | $10.95 |
| 1983 | World University Games | Carola Tietz | 340,068 | $16.15 | 159,450 | $10.95 |
| 1984 | Toronto Sesquicentennial | D.J. Craig | 571,079 | $17.50 | 133,563 | $11.40 |
| 1985 | National Parks Centennial | Karel Rohlicek | 537,297 | $17.50 | 162,873 | $12.00 |
| 1986 | Vancouver Centennial | Elliott John Morrison | 496,418 | $18.00 | 124,574 | $12.25 |
| 1987 | John Davis 400th Anniversary | Christopher Gorey | 405,688 | $19.00 | 118,722 | $14.00 |
| 1988 | Saint-Maurice Ironworks | R.R. Carmichael | 259,230 | $20.00 | 106,702 | $15.00 |
| 1989 | Mackenzie River Bicentennial | John Mardon | 272,319 | $21.75 | 110,650 | $16.25 |
| 1990 | Henry Kelsey Tricentennial | D.J. Craig | 222,983 | $22.95 | 85,763 | $16.75 |
| 1991 | Frontenac | D.J. Craig | 222,892 | $22.95 | 82,642 | $16.75 |
| 1992 | Kingston to York Stagecoach | Karsten Smith | 187,612 | $23.95 | 78,160 | 17.50 |
| 1993 | Stanley Cup Centennial | Stewart Sherwood | 294,214 | $23.95 | 88,150 | $17.50 |
| 1994 | RCMP Northern Dog Team | Ian D. Sparkes | 178,485 | $24.50 | 65,295 | $17.95 |
| 1995 | 325th Anniv. Hudson's Bay Company | Vincent McIndoe | 166,259 | $24.50 | 61,819 | $17.95 |
| 1996 | John McIntosh, McIntosh Apple | Roger Hill | 133,779 | $29.95 | 58,834 | $19.95 |
| 1997 | 25th Anniversary of Canada/Russia Summit Series | Walter Burden | 184,965 | $29.95 | 155,252 | $19.95 |
| 1997 | 10th Anniversary of Loon Dollar | Jean-Luc Grondin | 24,995 | $49.95 | No BU Exists | N/A |
| 1998 | 125th Anniversary of RCMP | Adeline Halvorson | 130,795 | $29.95 | 81,376 | $19.95 |
| 1999 | 225th Anniversary of the Voyage of Juan Perez | D.J. Craig | 126,435 | $29.95 | 67,655 | $19.95 |
| 1999 | International Year of Older Persons | S. Armstrong-Hodgins | 24,976 | $49.95 | No BU Exists | N/A |
Numismatic One and Five Cents
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Matte Finish. | Ago Aarand | 24,893 | $99.00 |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Mirror Finish. | Ago Aarand | 18,376 | $99.00 |
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Matte Finish. | Ago Aarand | 24,893 | $99.00 |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Mirror Finish. | Ago Aarand | 18,376 | $99.00 |
Numismatic Ten Cents
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1997 | 500th Anniversary, John Cabot | Donald H. Curley | 49,848 | $10.95 |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Matte Finish. | Ago Aarand | 24,893 | $99.00 |
| 1998 | Part of 90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint set. Coins were Mirror Finish. | Ago Aarand | 18,376 | $99.00 |
Numismatic 25-cent Pieces
Numismatic Fifty-Cent Collections
Discovering Nature Series
90th Anniversary of Royal Canadian Mint
Canadian Sports Series
| Year | Coin No 1 | Coin No 2 | Coin No 3 | Coin No 4 | Artist | Finish | Issue Price | Total Mintage |
| 1998 | First Amateur Figure Skating Championships 1888 | First Cdn Ski Running and Jump Championships 1898 | First Overseas Cdn Soccer Tour of 1888 | Gilles Villeneuve, Grand Prix of Canada Victory, 1978 | Friedrich G. Peter | Proof | $59.95 | 56,428 |
| 1999 | First Cdn Open Golf Championship, 1904 | First International Yacht Race, US vs. Canada, 1874 | First Grey Cup, 1904 | Invention of Basketball by James A. Naismith, 1891 | Donald H. Curley | Proof | $59.95 | 52,115 |
Source:
Numismatic Five Dollars
Five Dollars| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1998 | Norman Bethune | Harry Chan | 65,831 | $98.00 |
| 1999 | Viking Settlement | Donald Curley | 28,450 | N/A |
Twenty Dollars
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price | Composition |
| 1967 | Gold Confederation Coin | Myron Cook | 337,687 | $40.00 | 90% gold, 10% copper |
Aviation Collection
The collection consists of 20 coins in all, with two coins being released annually over a period of 10 years, starting in 1990 and concluding in 1999, the 90th anniversary of powered flight in Canada. They were also offered in two presentation sets of 10 coins each—Series 1: 1990-94; and Series 2: 1995–99. Each coin has a face value of $20, is composed of sterling silver ; and includes a 24-karat gold-covered cameo depicting a Canadian aviation pioneer. Weight: 31.103 grams; Diameter: 38mm; Edge Type: Interrupted Serration; Finish: Proof. The obverse on all 20 coins features the portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Dora de Pédery-Hunt.| Year | Aircraft | Aviation Pioneer | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1990 | Avro Anson and the North American Harvard | Robert Leckie | Geoff Bennett | 41,844 | $55.50 |
| 1990 | Avro Lancaster | John Emilius Fauquier | R.R. Carmichael | 43,596 | $55.50 |
| 1991 | AEA Silver Dart | F.W. Baldwin and John A.D. McCurdy | George Velinger | 35,202 | $55.50 |
| 1991 | de Havilland Beaver | Phillip C. Garratt | Peter Mossman | 36,197 | $55.50 |
| 1992 | Curtiss JN-4 | Sir Frank Wilton Baillie | George Velinger | 33,105 | $55.50 |
| 1992 | de Havilland Gypsy Moth | Murton A. Seymour | John Mardon | 32,537 | $55.50 |
| 1993 | Fairchild 71c | James A. Richardson | R.R. Carmichael | 32,199 | $55.50 |
| 1993 | Lockheed 14 Super Electra | Zebulon Lewis Leigh | R.R. Carmichael | 32,550 | $55.50 |
| 1994 | Curtiss HS-2L | Stuart Graham | John Mardon | 31,242 | $55.50 |
| 1994 | Canadian Vickers Vedette | Wilfrid T. Reid | R.R. Carmichael | 30,880 | $55.50 |
The 1998 coins were offered in a special gift box with two cardboard models of the Argus and the Waterbomber.
| Year | Aircraft | Aviation Pioneer | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1995 | Fleet 80 Canuck | J. Omer Noury | Robert W.Bradford | 17,438 | $57.95 |
| 1995 | DHC-1 Chipmunk | Russell Bannock | Robert W.Bradford | 17,722 | $57.95 |
| 1996 | Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck | Janusz Żurakowski | Jim Bruce | 18,508 | $57.95 |
| 1996 | Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow | Jim Chamberlin | Jim Bruce | 27,163 | $57.95 |
| 1997 | Canadair F-86 Sabre | Fern Villeneuve | Ross Buckland | 16,440 | $57.95 |
| 1997 | Canadair CT-114 Tutor | Edward Higgins | Ross Buckland | 18,414 | $57.95 |
| 1998 | Canadair CP-107 Argus | William S. Longhurst | Peter Mossman | 14,711 | $57.95 |
| 1998 | Canadair CL-215 Waterbomber | Paul Gagnon | Peter Mossman | 15,237 | $57.95 |
| 1999 | de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter | George A. Neal | Neil Aird | 14,173 | $57.95 |
| 1999 | de Havilland DHC-8 Dash 8 | Robert H. Fowler | Neil Aird | 14,138 | $57.95 |
100 Dollar Gold
The text "CANADA" appears on the edge for the first time in Canadian coinage.| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1976 | Olympic Commemorative | Dora de Pédery-Hunt | 650,000 | $105.00 |
| 1976 | Olympic Commemorative | Dora de Pédery-Hunt | 350,000 | $150.00 |
| 1977 | Silver Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II | Raymond Lee | 180,396 | $140.00 |
| 1978 | Canadian Unity Coin | Roger Savage | 200,000 | $150.00 |
| 1979 | International Year of Child | Carola Tietz | 250,000 | $185.00 |
| 1980 | Arctic Territories | Arnaldo Marchetti | 130,000 | $430.00 |
| 1981 | O Canada Commemorative | Roger Savage | 100,950 | $300.00 |
| 1982 | Patriation of Constitution | Friedrich Peter | 121,706 | $290.00 |
| 1983 | Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s Landing | John Jaciw | 83,128 | $310.00 |
| 1984 | Jacques Cartier Voyage of Discovery | Carola Tietz | 67,662 | $325.00 |
| 1985 | National Parks Centenary | Hector Greville | 58,520 | $325.00 |
| 1986 | International Year of Peace | Dora de Pédery-Hunt | 76,255 | $325.00 |
| 1987 | XV Olympic Winter Games | Friedrich Peter | 145,175 | $255.00 |
| 1988 | The Bowhead Whale | Robert R. Carmichael | 52,239 | $255.00 |
| 1989 | Sainte-Marie | David J. Craig | 63,881 | $245.00 |
| 1990 | International Literacy Year | John Mardon | 49,940 | $245.00 |
| 1991 | Empress of India | Karsten Smith | 33,966 | $245.00 |
| 1992 | City of Montreal, 350th Anniversary | Stewart Sherwood | 28,190 | $239.85 |
| 1993 | Era of the Horseless Carriage | John Mardon | 25,971 | $239.85 |
| 1994 | The Home Front | Paraskeva Clark | 17,603 | $249.95 |
| 1995 | Founding of Louisbourg | Lewis Parker | 16,916 | $249.95 |
| 1996 | First Major Gold Discovery in the Klondike | John Mantha | 19,744 | $259.95 |
| 1997 | 150th Anniversary, Alexander Graham Bell | Donald H. Curley | 14,030 | $259.95 |
| 1998 | 75th Anniv., Nobel Prize for Discovery of Insulin | Robert R. Carmichael | 11,220 | $259.95 |
| 1999 | 50th Anniv, Newfoundland’s Confederation with Canada | J. Gale-Vaillancourt | 10,242 | $259.95 |
200 Dollar Gold
| Year | Theme | Artist | Mintage | Issue Price |
| 1990 | Canada Flag Silver Jubilee | Stewart Sherwood | 20,980 | $395.00 |
| 1991 | A National Passion | Stewart Sherwood | 10,215 | $425.00 |
| 1992 | Niagara Falls | John Mardon | 9,465 | $389.65 |
| 1993 | Royal Canadian Mounted Police | Stewart Sherwood | 10,807 | $389.65 |
| 1994 | Anne of Green Gables | Pheobe Gilman | 10,655 | $399.95 |
| 1995 | The Sugar Bush | J.D. Mantha | 9,579 | $399.95 |
| 1996 | Transcontinental Landscape | Suzanne Duranceau | 8,047 | $414.95 |
Celebrating Canadian Native Cultures and Traditions
350 Dollar Gold
Provincial Flowers
Platinum coins
| Year | Theme | Face Values | Artist | Issue Price | Mintage | Finish |
| 1990 | Polar Bears | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Robert Bateman | $1,990.00 | 2,629 | Proof |
| 1991 | Snowy Owls | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Glen Loates | $1,990.00 | 1,164 | Proof |
| 1992 | Cougars | $30, $75, $150, $300 | George McLean | $1,955.00 | 1,081 | Proof |
| 1993 | Arctic Foxes | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Claude D’Angelo | $1,955.00 | 1,033 | Proof |
| 1994 | Sea Otters | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Ron S. Parker. | $1,995.00 | 766 | Proof |
| Year | Theme | Face Values | Artist | Issue Price | Mintage | Finish |
| 1995 | Canadian Lynx | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Michael Dumas | $1,950.00 | 682 | Proof |
| 1996 | Peregrine Falcon | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Dwayne Harty | $2,095.95 | 675 | Proof |
| 1997 | Wood Bison | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Chris Bacon | $1,950.00 | 413 | Proof |
| 1998 | Grey Wolf | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Kerr Burnett | $2,095.00 | 661 | Proof |
| 1999 | Muskox | $30, $75, $150, $300 | Mark Hobson | $2,095.95 | 495 | Proof |
Definition of finishes
- Bullion
- Proof
- Specimen
Mint marks
- A
- B
- C
- Dot
- H
- Innukshuk
- International Polar Year
- Maple Leaf
- P
- Paralympic Logo
- RCM Logo
- T/É
- Teddy Bear
- W
- W/P