Don't miss the Royal Canadian Mint's Coin Exchange!

In honor of Canada 150, West Edmonton Coin & Stamp has partnered with the Royal

Canadian Mint to host a Coin Exchange on the stage just outside of our store!

Running from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. on June 30th, 2017, coin enthusiasts and those 

looking to snag a free keepsake of our 150th anniversary should check out the 

festivities as they kickoff the Canada Day weekend. 

While quantities last, event attendees will receive a 

souvenir coin board to collect mementoes that only 

come around every 150 years. Inside are slots for 

every coin in the collection, including the three up for

grabs in the Coin Exchange, as well as notes about

each coin's design, the artist, and what the design

signifies for our moment in Canadian history. 

In a straight exchange with any ordinary loose change you have, our staff and RCM personnel will be dispensing

three collectible coins from the set at no additional cost. None of these mementoes will enter circulation.

Connecting a Nation - 1 Dollar 

The new 2017 $1 coin, Connecting a Nation, pays tribute to Sir 

John A. Macdonald's vision of a national railway to unite the 

country — and celebrates the skill and drive that made that vision

real through the steam age into the diesel era. Featuring 

impressive landmarks along the country's rail routes — from the

Lion's Gate Bridge in British Columbia to the Grand Banks of the

East Coast — its inspiring design is testament to our spirit of 

exploration and ingenuity, depicting the sights and scenes that call

Canadians to each other — and the world to Canada.

The Artist

“All these images are in one way or another connected to the railroad, for which all Canadians can be forever grateful.”

Wesley Klassen drew on the memories of his boyhood vacations when designing Connecting a Nation to 

celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary. Travelling from coast to coast exposed Klassen to the iconic landmarks 

and monumental achievements that continue to define our nation — with the national railway chief among them. 

To capture that experience and distill it into a single coin design, Klassen drew on the creative talents his 

parents encouraged from a young age. Having designed a Canadian commemorative circulation coin, Klassen 

has followed in the footsteps of his father, who designed the town crest for Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1971.

Specifications

Composition: three-ply brass plated steel

Finish: uncirculated

Weight (g): 6.27

Diameter (mm): 26.5

Edge: plain

Artist: Wesley Klassen (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Hope for a Green Future - 25 Cents - Colour 

The new 2017 25-cent coin, Hope for a Green Future, shares a child's 

hope that Canada's plants, animals and abundant nature will be 

protected and thrive for years to come.

Available in both plain and coloured versions, Hope for a Green Future 

features a pair of hands 

bringing life to a plant that connects all living things — represented by 

some notable Canadian animals.

The Artist

“I was born here nine years ago. One hundred and fifty years is a very long time. Happy birthday to my beautiful homeland — Canada!”

When eight-year-old Joelle Wong learned of the My Canada, My Inspiration coin design contest, she 

immediately started thinking about images that would represent what the country means to her. Starting from a 

painting she had made for a school art project, and with a teacher's help in researching Canadian wildlife and 

Indigenous art techniques, Joelle channelled her appreciation for animals and greenspaces into Hope for a 

Green Future, a design that shares her personal, heartwarming vision for a tomorrow in which all Canadians 

work together to preserve and protect nature and its creatures.

Specifications

Composition: three-ply nickel finish plated steel

Finish: uncirculated, colour

Weight (g): 4.4

Diameter (mm): 23.88

Edge: reeded

Artist: Joelle Wong (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Dance of the Spirits - 2 Dollar - Glow in the Dark

Our country is unlike anywhere else on Earth. The new 2017 $2 coin, 

Dance of the Spirits, celebrates the wonders of Canada with a design 

featuring the spectacular Aurora Borealis. Dance of the Spirits depicts 

paddlers gliding across a placid lake under the shimmering curtain of 

the Northern Lights — which the Cree peoples called “the dance of the 

spirits”. When the lights are out, the Northern Lights glow, a first for the 

toonie!

The Artist

“Traditional Cree philosophy attributes the Northern Lights to a special moment when the Spirits manifest themselves,

dancing, to the human eyes and minds below.”

Growing up, Timothy Hsia's family home was adorned with prints of artworks by Canadian painters including 

Robert Bateman and Ted Harrison. Today as a family physician in British Columbia, Hsia continues to look at 

nature with a painter's eye — as evident in his contribution to the My Canada, My Inspiration 150th anniversary 

coin collection, Dance of the Spirits. Challenging himself to render the ever-shifting movement of the Northern 

Lights in a single, still image, he blended hand-drawn elements and computer design to bring the aurora 

borealis to life for all Canadians to share.

Specifications

Composition three-ply nickel finish plated steel (outer ring); three-ply brass finish plated aluminum bronze (inner core)

Finish: uncirculated, colour

Weight (g): 6.99

Diameter (mm): 28

Edge: interrupted serrations

Artist: Timothy Hsia (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Hope to see you all there! In the meantime, check out our Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter 

for more news about upcoming events!