Monthly Archives: April 2016

Everyone loves the annual Silver Maple Leaf. Fractional Proof Set, with a one-year-only design that celebrates Queen Elizabeth II as the longest reigning British monarch with yellow and rose gold plating, edge lettering, the 1952 Imperial crown portrait – and a reduced mintage limit of just 7,500! Talisman Coins and the Royal Canadian Mint are honoured to celebrate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history. Until 2015, Queen Victoria. Had the longest reign of any king or queen in the various kingdoms of the British Isles. However, on September 9, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II. Surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Victoria. Queen Elizabeth II is Britains 40th monarch since William the Conqueror was crowned in 1066. Her coronation took place on June 2, 1953, more than a year after the death of her father, King George VI. On September 9, 2015 Queen Elizabeth II passed an historic milestone, becoming the longest reigning British monarch. She exceeded the previous record of 23,226 days, 16 hours and 23 minutes (63 years and seven months) set by her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria. The annual Silver Maple Leaf 5-Coin Fractional Set. Is always a highlight of the numismatic calendar, and a much-anticipated treat for collectors! Even better, this year the mintage limit has been reduced to a mere 7,500! For 2016, each reverse proof finish coin features a special, one-year-only design of three maples leaves (specifically commissioned for this set from Canadian artist Donna Kriekle) – with the largest maple leaf, the 1952 effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. And the edge and rims all plated in 24-karat rose gold! The one troy ounce silver maple leaf coin is even more special – it also features both rose gold and yellow gold 24-karat gold plating. As well as edge lettering that reads LONGEST REIGNING SOVEREIGN to honor QEII! This is an historic and exclusive opportunity for the discriminating collector and/or savvy investor! Because of the popularity of the Silver Maple Leaf. (the most collected Canadian coin). And an even-lower mintage limit, a quick sell out is expected (just like in past years)! Take immediate action if you wish to secure one of these sets for your collection – do not delay! Pure Silver Maple Leaf 5-Coin Gold-Plated Fractional Set – Celebrating the Reign of Elizabeth II! Don’t forget these other great Canadian Pure Silver Sets! 2012 Farewell to the Penny Pure Silver 5-Coin Set. 2014 24-Karat Gold-Plated 5-Coin Fractional SML Set. 2015 Incuse 5-Coin Fractional SML Set with Translucent Red Enamel. 2015 Bald Eagle 4-Coin Pure Silver Fractional Set. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Was born on April 21, 1926 and was just ten years old when she unexpectedly became heir presumptive to the throne. When the King’s health began to deteriorate in 1951, the young princess readily assumed many of her father, King George VI’s. With her father’s passing in 1952, Princess Elizabeth went into mourning and then acceded to the throne at the relatively young age of twenty-six on June 2, 1953. By this time she was a seasoned public figure, her years of service a strong indicator of what the Commonwealth could expect of its new queen. Today about 128 million people live in the 16 countries of which she is head of state. For many, the Coronation represented the beginning of a hopeful new Elizabethan era. In her glittering Coronation portrait, Elizabeth. Wears the Imperial State Crown. She holds the Royal regalia incorporating the Sovereigns scepter-with-cross, representing temporal power, and the Sovereigns orb, symbolizing the Monarch’s role as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England. On her right hand, Her Majesty wears the Coronation ring and on both wrists are golden armills. Please see the article at the end of this presentation for more information and images of the Crown Jewels, such as Elizabeth. Wears in this portrait. Indeed, on her Diamond Jubilee. Is arguably the world’s most popular and best-known monarch. She is currently the second-longest-serving head of state in the world, and the longest-serving British or English monarch in history. Her reign of nearly two-thirds of a century has seen twelve different Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. For well over sixty years, she has served the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as the British Commonwealth, which includes Australia, Canada and more than forty other countries. Ultra-low mintage, an unique, one-year-only one-troy-ounce Pure Silver Maple Leaf Coin, reverse proof frosted finish, four pure silver fractional maples, all highlighted in sumptuous 24-karat gold plating and all in a handsome, burgundy leatherette presentation case – and it honors Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history. What more do we have to say? ! ? Technology Note – Gold Plating. The Royal Canadian Mints proprietary selective gold plating process is the most advanced in the world, resulting in unparalleled precision and beauty. Both rose gold and yellow gold plating are used on the coins in this set. Technology Note – Purity. The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. The RCM is also the only mint in the world to issue commemorative coins in a. This one troy ounce silver proof is 99.99% pure! All five coins feature an unique, one-year-only design by Canadian artist Donna Kriekle that showcases Canadas most beloved symbol, the iconic maple leaf. Recreating the leafs appearance in a natural setting, three different sizes of maple leaves are joined at the stem and gently splay out to fill the entirety of the tableau. Each leafs distinctively serrated edge and deep veins are given a life-like quality by meticulous engraving, which shines brilliantly thanks to the reverse proof finish against the frosted background. And yet, it is the addition of pink and yellow gold plating to the one troy ounce coin that proves to be particularly striking. Within the one ounce coins pink gold-plated rim, the largest of the three leaves is resplendent with pink gold plating that adds an eye-catching element to the silver design. This pink gold plating is further complemented by the addition of yellow gold plating to the left-most leaf, which creates a beautiful contrast above the smaller silver leaf and is evocative of the maples colorful transformation each fall. The legend 9999 FINE SILVER guarantees the purity, while the weight of each coin in troy ounces of pure silver and the date are also indicated. In profile facing right. This portrait, the 1952 effigy of the queen, depicts Elizabeth II wearing the Imperial State Crown worn at her Coronation. The legend ELIZABETH II D. REGINA (“Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God”) also appears. The date is also indicated. Each silver maple leaf. Is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet, protected by a black outer sleeve. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. Proof with 24-Karat Gold Plating. 9999 Fine (Pure) Silver. The Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. The collective term Crown Jewels refers to the regalia and vestments worn by the sovereign of the United Kingdom during the coronation ceremony and at various other state functions. These include the following objects: the crowns, scepters, orbs, swords, rings, spurs, colobium sindonis, dalmatic, armill, and the royal robe or pall, as well as several other objects connected with the ceremony itself. The oldest set of Crown Jewels, dating from the Anglo-Saxon period, were lost by John of England near the Wash in 1216. A replacement set was made shortly afterwards which was later joined by the addition of Welsh prince Llywelyn’s coronet in 1284. This replacement set was stolen from Westminster Abbey in 1303 although most, if not all, were recovered days later from the window of a London jeweler’s shop (resulting in dire consequences for the shopkeeper). Oliver Cromwell melted down most of the original Crown Jewels of his era after the establishment of the Commonwealth in 1649. Upon the Restoration of Charles II, most of the regalia had to be replaced. The only pieces to survive from before the Civil War are three swords and a spoon. The British Crown Jewels easily constitute the most valuable jewelry collection in existence. The three most impressive pieces are described below; all can be seen in the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II earlier in this presentation. The Scepter with the Cross. Was made in 1661, and is so called because it is surmounted by a cross. In 1905, it was redesigned to incorporate the Cullinan I, also known as the Great Star of Africa, which at over 530 carats (106 g) is the largest cut diamond in the world. During the coronation, the monarch bears the Scepter with the Cross in the right hand. The Sovereign’s Orb. A type of globus cruciger, is a hollow golden sphere made in 1661. There is a band of jewels running along the center, and a half-band on the top hemisphere. Surmounting the orb is a jeweled Cross representing the Sovereign’s role as Defender of the Faith. For a part of the coronation, it is borne in the Sovereign’s left hand. Of all the Crown Jewels, the most valuable is. The Imperial State Crown. Featured on this magnificent coin. The Crown is generally worn at the end of a coronation when the new monarch departs from Westminster Abbey and is not traditionally the actual crown used at the moment of coronation. However it was actually worn during the ceremony by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII, both of whom complained about the weight of the normally-used crown, St. The Imperial State Crown is of a design similar to St. Edward’s Crown; it includes a base of four crosses pattee alternating with four fleurs-de-lis, above which are four half-arches surmounted by a cross. Inside is a deep purple velvet cap with an ermine border. The Crown includes an incredible number of precious gems, including 2,868 diamonds, 273 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds, and 5 rubies! Among these are several world-famous jewels. The cross atop the Crown is set with a stone known as St. Edward’s Sapphire, a sapphire taken from the ring (or possibly coronet) of Edward the Confessor. The Black Prince’s Ruby is set on the front cross pattee. Furthermore, the famous Cullinan II Diamond, or Lesser Star of Africa, is set on the front of the Crown. The Black Prince’s Ruby. The Black Prince’s Ruby is actually a bead-shaped spinel weighing roughly 170 carats (34 g), that is, the size of a chicken egg! It is one of the oldest of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom, with a known history dating back to the middle of the 14th century and having been in the possession of the British kings since it was given in 1367 to its namesake, Edward of Woodstock (the “Black Prince”). What is a spinel? Until fairly modern times, all red gemstones were referred to as “rubies”. It was only relatively recently that the rarer spinel has been differentiated from the more common ruby. The two gemstones can be distinguished on the basis of hardness and density – a ruby is slightly harder and denser than a spinel. The two stones can also be told apart by their optical properties: a true ruby is dichroic while a spinel is singly refractive. The Cullinan Diamonds (Stars of Africa). The original, intact Cullinan Diamond was found by Frederick Wells, surface manager of the Premier Diamond Mining Company in Cullinan, Gauteng, South Africa on June 25 1905. It is the largest rough gem-quality diamond ever found, at 3,106.75 carats (621.35 g). The stone was named after Sir Thomas Cullinan, the owner of the diamond mine. The stone was bought by the Transvaal government and presented to King Edward VII of Great Britain. However, transport from South Africa to England posed a bit of a problem with regard to security. The actual diamond was in fact sent to England in a plain box via parcel post! The Cullinan was cut into three large parts by Asscher Brothers of Amsterdam, and eventually into some 11 large gem-quality stones and a number of smaller fragments. The largest polished gem from the stone is named Cullinan I or the Great Star of Africa, and at 530.20 carats (106.04 g) was the largest polished diamond in the world until the 1985 discovery of the Golden Jubilee diamond (545.67 cts), also from the Premier mine. Cullinan I is now mounted in the head of the Scepter with the Cross. The second largest gem from the Cullinan stone, Cullinan II or the Lesser Star of Africa, at 317.40 carats (63.48 g), is the third largest polished diamond in the world and is also part of the British crown jewels, as it forms a part of the Imperial State Crown. Both gems are on display at the Tower of London, as parts of the British crown jewels. The Orange Sugar Maple. The pride and joy of maple syrup producers in Vermont, Ontario and Quebec (but present as far east as Nova Scotia and as far south as the state of Georgia), the Orange Sugar Maple. Is recognized around the world as the source of the sweetest, clearest maple syrup. It takes a great deal of work to produce this trees sweet, golden bounty: one quart (one liter) of syrup requires boiling down 10 gallons (40 liters) of sap! A large-leafed, long-lived tree that often tops 115 feet (35 m) in height, the sugar maple. Can live for 200 years! The shape of its five-lobed leaf is recognizable around the world; a stylized version of its leaf is found at the center of the Canadian maple leaf flag. Autumn in a forest dominated by sugar maples is an extraordinary sight. Intense rainbows of yellow, orange, red, and purple seem to set the countryside aflame in regions where sugar maples grow. Were long attracted to the sugar maple for its savory sap, sweet flowers, and close-grained hardwood. But the leaves and sap are not the only prized features of the Sugar Maple. Sugar Maple wood is exceptionally hard, making it a material of choice for furniture-makers and producers of hardwood flooring, as well as makers of other notable products, including bowling pins and alley floors, basketball courts, baseball bats, violins, guitars, and drums. The item “Canada 2016 Queen Elizabeth II Historic Reign 5 Coin Silver Maple Fractional Set” is in sale since Sunday, September 13, 2015. This item is in the category “Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ Canada\Commemorative”. The seller is “talismancoins” and is located in Saint Louis, Missouri. This item can be shipped worldwide.