Royal Canadian Mint facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Royal Canadian Mint

Type	Crown corporation
Industry	Coin mintage
Founded	January 2, 1908 (1908-01-02)
Headquarters	Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Number of locations	2
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Marie Lemay (master of the Mint & CEO)
Products	Coins
Services	Precious metal storage, assay, refinery and coin production
Revenue	$3,282.5 million (2022)
Operating income	$45.574 million (2022)
Net income	$1.236 million (2022)
Total assets	$380.2 million (2022)
Total equity	$138.430 million (2022)
Owner	Government of Canada
Number of employees	1,189 (2022)

The Royal Canadian Mint (also known as Monnaie royale canadienne in French) is where Canada's coins are made. It's a special company owned by the Canadian government. The Mint makes all the coins we use in Canada. It also makes coins for other countries around the world!

Beyond regular money, the Mint creates special collector coins. These can be made from gold, silver, palladium, or platinum. They also make medals and tokens. The Mint even helps refine and test gold and silver.

The Mint works for the public good. But it also needs to make a profit. This means it runs like a business. It doesn't rely on taxpayer money to operate. It has a board of directors, just like a private company. The person in charge is called the Master of the Mint. Currently, that's Marie Lemay.

The Royal Canadian Mint was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" for several years.

History of Canadian Coins

For about 50 years, Canada's coins were made in London, England. Some were even made at a private mint in Birmingham. As Canada grew, it needed more of its own coins. So, in 1890, people suggested building a branch of the Royal Mint in Ottawa. This idea was approved in 1901.

Opening the Ottawa Mint

The Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint officially opened on January 2, 1908. Lord Grey and his wife, Lady Grey, started the coin presses. The very first coin made was a 50-cent coin. When it first opened, the Mint had 61 employees.

A few years later, the Mint started refining gold. This process makes gold very pure. In 1915, they started using a faster method to refine gold. This helped them process more gold.

Logo of the Royal Canadian Mint until June 2013

Becoming the Royal Canadian Mint

In 1931, Canada became more independent from the British Empire. The Mint's ownership was transferred to the Canadian government. In December 1931, it officially became the Royal Canadian Mint. It became a part of the Department of Finance.

By 1960, the Ottawa Mint was getting too busy. Many Canadian 10-cent coins were being made in the United States. A study in 1968 showed the Ottawa Mint was old-fashioned. Money was set aside for a new building. But no suitable place was found in Ottawa.

In 1969, the Royal Canadian Mint changed again. It became a "Crown corporation." This meant it could make more of its own decisions. It didn't have to follow the Department of Finance as closely.

Building the Winnipeg Mint

In 1970, a new Mint facility was proposed for Winnipeg. This was a bit controversial. Winnipeg is very far from Ottawa. But a study showed it was a good idea. Raw materials could be bought from a supplier in Alberta. This was better than buying from outside Canada.

In 1971, it was agreed that the Mint would build in Winnipeg. Construction started in 1972. The new facility officially opened in 1976.

Changes to Coins

In March 2012, the Canadian government decided to stop making pennies. The last penny was made in Winnipeg on May 4, 2012.

Mint Locations

The Royal Canadian Mint has two main locations. Each one has a special job.

Ottawa Facility

The Royal Canadian Mint building at 320 Sussex Drive in Ottawa

The Ottawa Mint opened on January 2, 1908. It was opened by Lord and Lady Grey. When it first started, it had 61 employees. One of the original staff members, Owen Toller, worked there for 45 years! He retired in 1953 and lived to be 102.

In 1979, the Ottawa Mint building became a National Historic Site. This was because of its unique Tudor-Gothic style. It also showed Canada taking control of its own money.

Winnipeg Facility

Winnipeg Royal Canadian Mint
General information
Type	Low-rise
Architectural style	Modernist
Location	520 Lagimodière Boulevard, Winnipeg, Manitoba R2J 3E7
Coordinates	49°51′21″N 97°03′13″W / 49.855915°N 97.05348°W / 49.855915; -97.05348
Construction started	1972
Opened	1976
Cost	$16 m CAD
Owner	Royal Canadian Mint
Height	10.11 metres (33.2 ft)
Technical details
Structural system	Rigid frame
Material	steel
Floor count	3 + basement
Design and construction
Architect	Étienne Gaboury
Architecture firm	Gaboury Lussier Sigurdson with Number Ten Architectural Group

The Winnipeg Mint opened in 1976. It looks very different from the Ottawa building. Architect Étienne Gaboury designed a striking triangular building. It stands out dramatically from the flat prairie land around it.

The Winnipeg facility makes all the regular coins for Canada. It also makes coins for other countries. The Ottawa facility focuses on special collector coins.

How the Mint Works

The Royal Canadian Mint is a Crown corporation. This means it's owned by the government. But it has more freedom to run like a business. It has a board of directors and its own CEO.

The CEO is also known as the Master of the Mint. Marie Lemay became the president and CEO in 2019. The Mint also has a Master Engraver. This person is in charge of designing the coins.

The Mint has four main areas of business:

• Bullion and Refinery Service (making and refining precious metals)
• Canadian Circulation (making coins for Canada)
• Foreign Business (making coins for other countries)
• Numismatics (making collector coins)

What the Mint Does

The Royal Canadian Mint is busy with many different tasks.

Precious Metal Products

The Mint makes and sells very pure gold, silver, palladium, and platinum coins. These are called "bullion" coins. They are for people who want to invest in precious metals. The Mint also makes bars and granules of these metals. These are used in jewelry and other industries.

The Mint has an advanced refinery. It cleans and purifies precious metals from many sources. It refines raw gold to be 99.99% pure.

The Mint's most famous bullion coins are the Maple Leaf coins.

• The gold maple leaf coin started in 1979.
• The silver and platinum maple leaf coins started in 1988.

In 2007, the Mint made the world's first 99.999% pure gold maple leaf coins. These were very special and rare. They even made a huge 100 kg version of this coin!

Canadian Coins for Everyday Use

The Mint's main job is to make Canada's everyday coins. It also manages how these coins are given out. It advises the Minister of Finance on coin matters.

The Winnipeg Mint makes up to two billion Canadian coins each year. The image of the Queen has been on every Canadian coin since 1908. But the designs on the back of the coins often change. The Mint creates new designs to celebrate Canada's history, culture, and values.

Since 2000, most Canadian coins are made using a special "multi-ply plated steel" technology. This makes them stronger and cheaper to produce.

Coins for Other Countries

The Royal Canadian Mint makes coins for many other countries. This includes regular coins, collector coins, and even coin blanks. In 1970, the Mint started making coins for other countries again. Their first export contract was for Singapore.

Since then, they have made coins for countries like Brazil, Yemen, Iceland, Jamaica, and Venezuela. They even made 50 million 20-cent Australian coins in 1981. Other clients include Cuba, Norway, Indonesia, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

In 2005, the Mint made 50 million coins for Papua New Guinea. From 1980 to 2005, the Mint made about 52 billion coins for 62 different countries!

Collector Coins and Medals

The Mint creates special collector coins and products. These are for coin collectors around the world. Many of these coins have won international awards.

These coins are made from different metals. They often have special features. These can include holograms, enamel, laser designs, and even embedded crystals. The Mint also makes medals and tokens.

The Mint produces many military medals for the Canadian government. These include awards for bravery and long service. They also make awards for the Governor General of Canada.

The Mint also made the athlete medals for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. They made the medals for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games too. For the 2010 Games, they produced 615 Olympic and 399 Paralympic medals. In 2015, they designed and made 4,283 medals for the Toronto Pan Am and Parapan Am games.

Famous Canadian Coins

The Mint has made many memorable coins.

Maple Leaf Bullion Coins

In 1979, the Mint started making its own Maple Leaf bullion coins. These coins have a maple leaf design on the back. The gold used in these coins has become purer over the years. It went from 99.9% pure to 99.999% pure for special editions.

Gold Maple Leaf coins come in many sizes. They are known for their amazing purity. They are very popular with investors worldwide.

Silver Maple Leaf Coins

The Silver Maple Leaf coin started in 1988. It has the same design as the gold version. These coins are available in different sizes for investors.

Some special Silver Maple Leaf coins have featured Canadian wildlife. These include the Arctic fox and the Canada lynx. Some have even had color or holograms added to them. In 2010, a new series of silver coins featuring Canadian wildlife began. This included a wolf, grizzly bear, cougar, moose, pronghorn antelope, and wood bison.

Platinum and Palladium Maple Leaf Coins

The Mint has also made limited numbers of platinum and palladium Maple Leaf coins. Palladium coins were made from 2005 to 2009. Platinum coins were made from 1988 to 1999 and again in 2009.

Special Canadian Circulation Coins

V Nickel

During World War II, metals like copper and nickel were needed for the war. So, the 5-cent coin changed. In 1942, it was made of tombac. In 1943, the design changed to a "V" for Victory. This "V" was inspired by Winston Churchill's famous V sign. The coin even had a secret message in Morse code around the edge! It meant "We Win When We Work Willingly." The regular design returned in 1946.

Centennial of Confederation Coins

In 1967, Canada celebrated its 100th birthday. The Mint released a special series of coins. Each coin featured a different Canadian animal.

• 1-cent: rock dove
• 5-cent: rabbit
• 10-cent: mackerel
• 25-cent: lynx
• 50-cent: howling wolf
• Dollar: Canada goose

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Coins

In 1973, the 25-cent coin featured a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer on a horse. This celebrated 100 years of the RCMP.

The Mint has also made special gold coins featuring the RCMP. One was for their 125th anniversary in 1997.

"Loonie" and "Toonie"

A big change in Canadian coins happened in the 1980s. A new $1 coin was introduced in 1987. It's famous for the common loon bird on its back. That's why it's called the "loonie"! This coin started to replace the $1 paper bill.

In 1996, the Mint introduced a $2 coin. It has a polar bear on the back. This coin is called the "toonie"! It replaced the $2 paper bill. The toonie was also special because it was made of two different metals. The center is bronze-colored, and the outside is nickel-colored.

Saskatchewan Roughriders Coin

In 2010, the Mint released 3 million special $1 coins. These celebrated 100 years of the Saskatchewan Roughriders football team. The coin had the team's logo and "100" on it.

UFO Glow-in-the-Dark Coin

In 2019, the Mint released a glow-in-the-dark coin about a UFO incident. This was the second coin in their "unexplained phenomena" series. The first was about a UFO sighting near Falcon Lake in 2018. The Mint had also made a glow-in-the-dark coin in 2017. It showed the Northern Lights.

Foreign Coins Made by RCM

In 1971, the Mint made special silver and gold coins for Jamaica. They also made coins for the Bahamas, Bermuda, Iran, and the Isle of Man. They even made 100 million coins for Venezuela. By 1974, the Ottawa Mint made a record 1.2 billion coins that year, for Canada and other countries.

In 2009, the Mint made coins and blanks for 18 countries. This included 10-cent coins for Panama.

Special Collector Coins

In 2006, the Mint made a special $50 silver coin called "Four Seasons." It was the first 5-ounce pure silver coin they made. Only 2,000 were made worldwide. These coins are now very valuable!

In 2007, the Mint released ten new collector coins. One was a 25-cent coin for Queen Elizabeth II's 60th wedding anniversary. Another was a $15 silver coin with Queen Victoria's image.

Toronto Transit Commission Tokens

From 1954 to 2006, the Mint made 24 million tokens for the Toronto Transit Commission. These were used for public transport. They were stopped in 2007 because they were easy to counterfeit.

Canadian Tire Money

In 2009, the Mint made special "trade dollars" for Canadian Tire. These temporarily replaced their regular $1 coupons. They made 2.5 million nickel-plated steel tokens.

Famous Medallions

• In 1983, the Mint made a medallion for the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
• The Mint created a medallion to honor Elvis Presley. It had an image of Elvis and his mansion, Graceland.
• Medallions honoring hockey legends have also been created. These include Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky.

Cool Innovations from the Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is known for its new ideas.

Multi-Ply Plating Technology

In 2000, the Mint invented a new way to make coins. It's called multi-ply plating technology. This method saves money. Since then, most Canadian coins (5¢, 10¢, 25¢, 50¢, $1, and $2) use this method.

This process uses a steel core. It's coated with thin layers of nickel and copper. This uses less metal, making coins cheaper to produce. These plated coins are also stronger. They last longer in circulation. By changing the thickness of the layers, the Mint can create unique "signatures" for coins. This helps prevent fake coins.

Colored Coins

In 2004, the Royal Canadian Mint made the world's first colored circulation coin. It was a 25-cent coin with a red poppy. The poppy was in the middle of a maple leaf. This coin was made using a special inkjet process. About 30 million of these coins were put into circulation.

In 2006, the Mint made another colored 25-cent coin. This one had a pink ribbon to support breast cancer awareness. More poppy coins were made in 2008 and 2010.

In 2008, the Mint also made colored 50-toea coins for Papua New Guinea. These were the first colored coins to circulate outside of Canada. The Mint even developed a robotic arm to paint the designs perfectly on each coin!

Glow-in-the-Dark Coins

In 2017, the Mint released a special $2 coin for Canada's 150th birthday. This coin had a colored version with northern lights. If you put it under light and then turn off the lights, the northern lights glow turquoise! This was the first glow-in-the-dark circulation coin in the world.

The Mint had worked with glow-in-the-dark technology before. In 2012, they released a set of three glow-in-the-dark dinosaur skeleton coins. But these were for collectors, not for everyday use.

In 2020, the Mint made a glow-in-the-dark $1 coin for Barbados. It features a flying fish.

Mintshield Technology

In 2018, the Mint introduced "Mintshield." This technology helps prevent "milk spots" on silver maple leaf coins. Milk spots are white marks that can appear on silver. The Royal Canadian Mint is the only mint that offers technology specifically to reduce these spots.

Vancouver Olympics Coins

In 2006, the Mint partnered with the Vancouver Olympic Committee. They became an official supporter of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The Mint created a three-year program of special coins for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

This program included the largest series of circulation coins ever made for the Olympics. It had 17 circulation coins. Fifteen were 25-cent coins, and two were $1 "lucky loonies." The Mint was the first in the world to honor the Paralympic Games on a circulation coin.

The Mint also made a series of 36 collector coins. These included multi-colored silver coins and special gold coins. They even made two huge 1-kilogram pure gold coins!

Vancouver 2010 Winter Games Medals

The Mint also produced the athlete medals for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The gold medals were sterling silver plated with 24-karat gold. The silver medals were sterling silver. The bronze medals were mostly copper.

Each medal had a unique part of an Aboriginal artwork. The designs were based on artworks of an orca whale (Olympic) and a raven (Paralympic). These were created by Canadian artist Corrine Hunt. The medals were also wavy, not flat. They had to be struck nine times to get this unusual shape.

The medals were displayed during the Games. Visitors waited for hours to see and even hold them!

Award-Winning Coins

The Royal Canadian Mint has won many awards for its coins. Here are some examples:

• 1985: Coin of the Year for the 1988 Olympic $20 coin (Downhill Skier).
• 1986: Best Gold Coin for the 450th Anniversary of Jacques Cartier's Voyage.
• 1988: Best Silver Coin for the 400th Anniversary of Davis Passage.
• 1994: Best Coin for the Anne of Green Gables theme.
• 1998: Most Popular Coin for the $2 coin with the polar bear design.
• 2000: Most Technologically Advanced Coin for a $20 coin with a Hologram.
• 2006: Most Innovative Coin of the Year for the Colored 25¢ Poppy Coin.
• 2007: Coin of the Year and Most Innovative Coin for the Big and Little Bear Constellations coins.
• 2010: Best New Series for the Vancouver 2010 Circulation Programme.
• 2011: Best Silver Coin for the 2009 Fine Silver Crystal Snowflake.

Coin Markings

Coins sometimes have special marks. These marks can tell you where or when a coin was made.

• C: Used on gold coins made at the Ottawa Mint from 1908 to 1919.
• Dot: In 1937, some coins had a small dot under the year 1936. This showed they were made in 1937. This happened because King Edward VIII left the throne. New coin designs were needed for King George VI.
• H: Used on coins made for Canada by the Heaton Mint in England until 1907.
• Innukshuk: All circulation coins for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics have this mark.
• Maple Leaf: In 1948, some coins had a small maple leaf next to the year 1947. This showed they were made in 1948. This was an emergency measure.
• P: From 2001 to 2006, most 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢, and 50¢ coins had a "P" mark. This showed they were made using the Mint's plating process.
• RCM Logo: Since 2006, the Mint uses its own logo as a mark on coins. This helps people know the Royal Canadian Mint made the coin.
• W: Used on some special sets of coins made in Winnipeg since 1998.
• WP: Used on a special set of coins in 2003. "W" means Winnipeg, and "P" means plated.

Security at the Mint

Security officer overseeing a boy with real golden bar in Royal Canadian Mint museum, Ottawa

The Royal Canadian Mint has its own security team. They wear black uniforms and carry special equipment. Their job is to keep the Mint's facilities safe.

Their duties include:

• Operating X-ray machines.
• Checking garbage in high-security areas.
• Monitoring security cameras.
• Controlling who enters and leaves the buildings.
• Watching over shipments of coins and metals.
• Helping with emergency evacuations.

In 2009, there was a small issue with tracking some gold. But a review later confirmed that all the gold was accounted for. Some was due to estimation errors, and some was recovered from refining waste.

Firsts for the Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint has achieved many "firsts" in the coin world:

• First colored 5-coin set (1999).
• First hologram 5-coin set (1999).
• First irregular shaped coin (a square silver beaver in 2006).
• First 5-ounce 0.9999 pure silver coin (2006).
• First colored coin using plasma technology (2007).
• First million-dollar face-value coin (a 100 kg gold coin).
• First coin with glass added (a seahorse coin in 2017).
• First glow-in-the-dark circulation coin (the Canada 150 $2 coin in 2017).
• First gold maple leaf coin from a single, confirmed mine source (2022).

Images for kids

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  Historical panel to the Mint in Ottawa, erected by the National Capital Commission