Description
Signed in 1918 “on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleven month,” the Armistice of Compiègne put an end to hostilities during the First World War. Sadly, more than 66,000 men and women from Canada and Newfoundland lost their lives in the war; to honour their memory, this 10 oz. fine silver coin commemorates the centennial of the Armistice with a powerful reverse that speaks of a nation’s pride and grief, and reminds us of the cost of this “war to end all wars.”
SPECIAL FEATURES
- HISTORY IN HAND: A thought-provoking tribute to peace, and a memorial to Canada’s fallen combatants of the First World War.
- A CANADIAN MEMORIAL: The large-sized reverse (76 mm) features a seldom-seen view of any of the three Angel of Victory statues erected in Montreal, Winnipeg and Vancouver after the war.
- FROM THEIR HANDS TO YOURS: Channelling the spirit of 1918, the reverse was strongly influenced by the one-cent coin in circulation between 1858 and 1920. The maple leaf wreath is a contemporary take on the penny’s maple vine, while the inner and outer ring of dots were kept intact from the original design. It’s an added homage to a coin that was quite possibly a token from home for many Canadians who served overseas!
- A STANDOUT PIECE: A meticulously crafted piece with special significance and high appeal for military or history-themed collectors, or all who seek to honour and preserve the memory of those who never returned from the war.
PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS
SRP: $999.95
Item Number: 164325
UPC: 6-23932-08850-4
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Mintage: 750
Weight (g): 311.54
Diameter (mm): 76.25
Face Value: $100
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Pandora Young
Packaging: Maroon clamshell with black beauty box
DESIGN
To mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice of Compiègne (November 11, 1918), the reverse image by Pandora Young brings together several design elements that are rooted in history. The design’s focal point is a rarely seen overhead view of the Angel of Victory statue, one of three identical bronze memorials created by Montreal-based sculptor Coeur de Lion MacCarthy. Here, the statue is a powerful reminder of the human cost of the war, embodied by the fallen Canadian combatant held by an ascending angel, who also holds a laurel wreath in her left hand. The two figures overlap the frame, which was inspired by Canada’s one-cent circulation coin at the time of the First World War (1914 -1918); a wreath of 16 maple leaves represents a contemporary twist on the maple vine design seen on all Canadian pennies between 1858 and 1920, while two rings of dots – one with 100 dots, the other with 140 – are kept intact from W.H.J. Blakemore’s classic design. The reverse includes the word “CANADA”, the double commemorative dates “1918 – 2018” and the face value “100 DOLLARS”. The obverse features the effigy of King George V by Sir E. B. MacKennal.
