The Royal Canadian Mint invites you!

The beginning of the story

The history of the mint dates back to 1890, when the idea of establishing a branch of the Royal Mint in Canada was conceived. This was related to Canada's gradual independence and its growing needs in terms of circulation coins.

However, construction did not begin until 1901, and after another seven years, on January 2, 1908, the minting machines were started up at the Ottawa facility. It has been operating under its current name, the Royal Canadian Mint, since 1931.

Development of the mint

Currently, in addition to the head office, there is also a branch in Winnipeg, which was launched in 1976 due to the declining capacity of the head office. Since then, all Canadian circulation coins have been produced there, as well as coins for other countries such as Cuba, Norway, Yemen, Colombia, Iceland, Thailand, Hong Kong, Barbados, and New Zealand. It has been estimated that since its inception, coins for more than 75 different countries have been produced there.

Interestingly, the Winnipeg plant has an average production capacity of up to 20 million coins per day, minting up to two billion Canadian circulation coins each year.

Bullion coins

The Royal Canadian Mint is also known for issuing bullion and collector coins – this is the specialty of its headquarters in Ottawa, which most often uses gold, silver, and palladium in its products. It also mints military decorations and medals – it was there that the medals awarded to Olympic athletes during the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver were made. In addition to the Canadian Maple Leaf, it also produces the world-renowned Britannia bullion coin.

A customized approach

The mint we are discussing today is known for the high quality of its products, but also for its unconventional approach and production of coins with unusual shapes. Let us recall, for example, the 3D coins in the shape of a diamond or a Canadian Royal Mounted Police hat, or the coin with a mechanism that sets the three-dimensional figures in motion.

In his designs, he draws on historical events and symbols of the monarchy. He also draws inspiration from the animal world. One need only mention the Call of the Wild series dedicated to the most majestic animals of the Canadian forests.

The best of the best

The Royal Canadian Mint is one of the mints certified as "Good Delivery" by the LBMA, or London Bullion Market Association, which brings together leading producers of investment gold from around the world, guaranteeing the highest quality. It is worth noting that the Royal Canadian Mint has been continuously accredited since its inception.

Corporate responsibility

The Royal Canadian Mint runs the Responsible Metals Program, which works to develop responsible business practices and promote the responsible sourcing of precious metals. In doing so, it opposes practices that threaten human rights and the extraction and trade of minerals from conflict-affected regions.

Maximum product security

The Royal Canadian Mint is renowned for the most advanced security features protecting its products. These include the Mintshield™ coating used on silver coins, which protects the metal from tarnishing. The Canadian Mint also runs the Bullion DNA (Digital Non-destructive Activation) program. Thanks to this program, a select group of Royal Canadian Mint dealers have the appropriate technology to quickly confirm the authenticity of Canadian Maple Leaf coins (this applies to gold coins minted since 2014 and silver coins minted since 2015). Mennica Skarbowa belongs to this group, which means that our branches have Bullion DNA Reader devices that allow us to confirm the authenticity of the product in real time.

An invitation to the world of coins

The Royal Canadian Mint runs an educational program mainly aimed at children and young people. You can visit both the headquarters in Ottawa and the branch in Winnipeg to learn about the production process and find out more about the history of these places and the coins they produce.