Each coin accompanied by steel from the CCGS Louis
St-Laurent
SARNIA, ON,
July 13, 2012 /CNW/ - The Canadian
Coast Guard is celebrating 50 years of exceptional service in 2012,
and the Royal Canadian Mint is delighted to mark this anniversary
by issuing a 99.99 per cent fine silver coin featuring the flagship
icebreaker CCGS Louis S.
St-Laurent hard at work in the frozen waters of the
Canadian Arctic.
"As we celebrate this special anniversary, I
would like to join Canadians in honouring all former and current
members of the Canadian Coast Guard for their commitment to keeping
Canadian waterways safe, often while risking their own lives to do
so," said Jeff Watson, Member of
Parliament for Essex. "With
an eye on the future of this valuable institution, our government
is pleased that the Coast Guard fleet is being renewed through
investments in new tools and training, as well as building a number
of new large vessels to support ongoing needs".
"On behalf of all employees at the Royal
Canadian Mint, I would like to thank the men and women of the
Canadian Coast Guard for their unwavering dedication in keeping
Canada's waters safe and secure
for half a century," said Ian E.
Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.
"This fine-crafted silver coin pays tribute to their efforts as
well as to the CCGS Louis S.
St-Laurent's long and distinguished career."
This unique fine silver coin features detailed
engraving to highlight the striking design of the CCGS
Louis S. St-Laurent by artist
Yves Bérubé. The massive ship sits at the centre of the
polished field, framed by a porthole window complete with engraved
hinge, rivets and two locks. The porthole frame is embossed with
the dates "1962" and "2012" as well as the words "CANADIAN COAST
GUARD/GARDE CÔTIÈRE CANADIENNE".
Each coin is accompanied by a vial containing a
small piece of steel from the bow of CCGS Louis S. St-Laurent taken during its recent
refitting. This steel piece is an exceptional memento of both the
history of the Canadian Coast Guard and this remarkable vessel.
Limited to a world-wide mintage of only 7,500
coins, this precious collectible retails for $129.95 CAD and can be ordered by directly
contacting the Royal Canadian Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in
Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US,
or on the Internet at www.mint.ca. It is also available at the
Mint's boutiques in Ottawa,
Winnipeg and Vancouver as well as through the Mint's global
network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada
Post outlets.
The Royal Canadian Mint has also produced
25-cent coloured collector coin
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Coast
Guard. Available as of September, this coin can be
pre-ordered now by visiting www.mint.ca.
For further information on the Canadian Coast
Guard and the CCGS Louis S. St.
Laurent, please see the attached backgrounder.
About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for
the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008
certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and
most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of
specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on
an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its
products and services, visit www.mint.ca
Images of this newest Royal Canadian Mint collector coin are
available by visiting
ftp://communications:RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca.
Backgrounder
THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD AND CCGS
LOUIS S.
ST-LAURENT
The Canadian Coast Guard was created in 1962 to
support mariners in Canadian waters, conduct search and rescue
services, maintain Canada's
sovereignty in the Arctic and in coastal waters, respond to
technical advances in its domain, and address issues associated
with growing vessel traffic. Today, it plays a vital role in marine
navigation, communications and traffic; performs icebreaking
services; offers crucial search and rescue support and service;
ensures the cleanup of spills and pollution from ships; manages
Canadian waterways; and assists in Canadian security and
sovereignty across one of the world's largest networks of maritime
highways. Its services are supported and complemented by the
Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary, a volunteer organization of 4,300
people and 1,200 vessels.
CCGS Louis S.
St-Laurent is named after the twelfth Prime Minister of
Canada. The Coast Guard's largest
and most capable icebreaking vessel was built in Montreal in 1969 and later underwent a major
refit in the early 1990s. One of only two heavy-class icebreakers,
its current mission includes regular summer trips to the Canadian
Arctic to support both annual sealift operations and research
expeditions.
CCGS Louis S.
St-Laurent has had a long and distinguished career. In
August of 1994 it became one of two North American surface-faring
ships to reach the North Pole, carrying 60 scientists engaged in
more than 30 research projects aimed at better understanding the
effects of climate change.
The Royal Canadian Mint's fine silver coin
celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Coast
Guard is accompanied by a vial containing a small piece of steel
from the bow of CCGS Louis S.
St-Laurent taken during its recent refitting. This
precious collectible retails for $129.95 CAD and can be ordered by directly
contacting the Royal Canadian Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in
Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US,
or on the Internet at www.mint.ca. It is also available at
the Mint's boutiques in Ottawa,
Winnipeg and Vancouver as well as through the Mint's global
network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada
Post outlets.
SOURCE Royal Canadian Mint