2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC/PARALYMPIC COIN PROGRAM CANADA (CIRCULATION)

MINTAGE OF ABOUT 1 COIN FOR 2 OUT OF 3 CANADIANS (MAXIMUM ALLOWED), FOR EACH QUARTER SERIES.     THE 2010 QUARTERS HAVE BEEN CALLED 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS'.    PRIOR TO THIS THERE HAVE ONLY BEEN A COUPLE OF 'GODLESS' CANADIAN COINS. [SEE BELOW RE GODLESS].

DEFINITIONS

*** ERRORS / ROTATED DIES / MULES, WILL BE RECORDED AS ISSUED.***

A MULE IS DEFINED AS A COIN STRUCK FROM DIES NOT DESIGNED TO BE USED TOGETHER.

CANADIAN COINS ARE STRUCK AS A MEDAL TURN (BOTH OBVERSE AND REVERSE ALIGNED AT TOP, SO WHEN YOU TURN COIN OVER , THE REVERSE IS RIGHT-SIDE-UP); AS OPPOSED TO USA COINS WHICH ARE A COIN TURN (WHICH WHEN YOU TURN THE COIN OVER, THE REVERSE IS UPSIDE-DOWN).  

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC CIRCULATION COIN PROGRAM

[JUST AS A NOTE, THE OLYMPIC GAMES WILL BE HELD FOR 17 DAYS, FEB 12-28; AND THE PARALYMPIC GAMES WILL BE HELD FOR 10 DAYS MARCH 12-21].

{A (pre)minting of a certain amount of all circulation coins were minted and put into various sets and a cardboard wheel - so if you find one of these post dated 2010 Olympic coins it is not a fantastical find ... likely someone broke open the set to sell the coin; or buy something -and it was found in change. These post-dated "circulation" coins will be no different than coins minted and released for circulation}.

THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC QUARTER COIN SPORTS SERIES WITH 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC LOGO (left) OR PARALYMPIC LOGO (right) WITH THE QUEEN'S PORTRAIT AND DATE ON OBVERSE; AND THE SPORT ON THE REVERSE OF THE COIN. 12 IN THIS SPORTS SERIES TO BE RELEASED 2007 TO 2009. 5 IN 2007, 4 IN 2008 AND 3 IN 2009. 

THE QUARTER PROGRAM TO DATE DOES NOT HAVE 'D.G. REGINA' ON THE OBVERSE, THEREFORE CALLED 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS'.  I BELIEVE THIS IS A SPACE ISSUE, RATHER THAN ANYTHING ELSE. THEY MOVED 'CANADA' TO THE OBVERSE, AND INCLUDED THE 2010 OLYMPIC LOGO; THUS LEAVING NO MORE ROOM. A NORMAL CDN OBVERSE FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH THE 2ND, SHOWS: 'ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA' WHICH MEANS 'Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God, Queen'.    

ONLY A COUPLE OF TIMES IN CANADIAN HISTORY HAVE THERE BEEN 'GODLESS' CANADIAN COINS. I CAN RECALL: 1) ALL THE 1911 COINAGE (an uproar occured since it lacked reference to the King's ruling 'by the grace of God', and the latin abbreviation was added the following year 'DEI GRA');      2) THE 2001 'VOLUNTEER' 10 CENT;      AND     3) ALL THE 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC QUARTERS, ISSUED TO DATE. 

THE 2010 OLYMPIC CIRCULATING COIN PROGRAM WILL ALSO RELEASE 2 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIES TO BE ISSUED IN 2008 TO MARK THE BEIJING GAMES AND LATE 2009 TO MARK THE 2010 VANCOUVER GAMES. ALSO IN 2009, 3 MEDALIST QUARTER COINS WILL BE ISSUED IN ALLOYS TO REPLICATE BRONZE, SILVER AND GOLD MEDALS.

GIVING A TOTAL OF 17 CIRCULATING OLYMPIC COINS TO THE PROGRAM - A DEFINITE BOON TO THE COLLECTOR / NUMISMATIST !

THE COINS IN ORDER OF RELEASE 

(with revisions & reshuffling of issues #9 to #12, as of Sept 15, 2008).

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only 10 pictures allowed per guide, so will show most recent and important.

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yes votes are much appreciated !!! re guide's helpfulness. 

P.S. ALL PHOTOS ARE NOT TO BE COPIED, THX...

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YEAR 2007

***     CURLING IS THE 1ST OF THE QUARTER SPORTS SERIES, RELEASED FEBRUARY 23, 2007. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

THIS CURLING COIN, FIRST RELEASE COINS THAT I HAVE, IN MY OPINION SHOW PROOFLIKE CHARACTERISTICS, AND ARE OF EXTREMELY HIGH QUALITY. THE RCM DOESN'T BAG COINS, THEY SEND OUT ALL IN MINT WRAPPERS, SO THE ONLY CONTACT BETWEEN THE COINS IS IN THE MINT PROCESS, INTO WRAPPERS (NOTE AS OF FEB 20, 2008 THE RCM HAS CHANGED FROM LOGO PAPER WRAPPERS TO PLASTIC, WITH NO IDENTIFYING MARKS).

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***     THE 2ND QUARTER OF THE SPORTS SERIES IS ICE HOCKEY, RELEASED APRIL 3, 2007. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED).

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***     THE 3RD IN THE SPORTS SERIES RELEASED JULY 11, 2007 IS THE WHEELCHAIR CURLING, THE 1ST OF THE PARALYMPIC SPORTS DEPICTED. THE FIRST COIN TO HAVE THE NEW PARALYMPIC LOGO ON THE OBVERSE OF THE COIN. (IT HAS BEEN FOUND THAT IN SOME SETS THE REGULAR OLYMPIC LOGO INSTEAD OF THE PARALYMPIC LOGO IS ON THIS COIN - A MULE). MINT SETS ARE PRODUCED AT A DIFFERENT FACILITY THAN REGULAR CIRCULATION COINAGE - SO THE MULE IS NOT FOUND ON CIRCULATION COINS. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED).

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***     THE 4TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS BIATHLON RELEASED SEPTEMBER 12, 2007. BIATHLON IS A COMBINATION OF CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AND RIFLE TARGET SHOOTING. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED).

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***     THE 5TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS ALPINE SKIING (aka DOWNHILL SKIING) RELEASED OCTOBER 24, 2007. THE COLOURIZED VERSION IN SEALED HOLOGRAM PACKAGES THE COIN IS DATED 2008 RATHER THAN 2007.  - A MULE. DISCOVERED OCT 26/08, THE SCOPE OF THIS MULE WAS NOT KNOWN UNTIL LATER ON. THIS IS TECHNICALLY A MULE, HOWEVER, ALL THIS PRODUCTION RUN OF THIS TYPE ARE MULES - PROBABLY A 1ST. SINCE A MULE HAS BEEN A RARITY - AN ERROR OF A LIMITED # OF COINS - IN THIS CASE, THE WHOLE PRODUCTION RUN (ESTIMATED 40,000 WERE ISSUED BEFORE THE ERROR WAS CAUGHT) - EVERY SINGLE COIN IS A MULE. ALSO FOUND IN SOME SETS (ESTIMATED 10,000 COIN BOARD SETS WERE ISSUED BEFORE THE ERROR WAS CAUGHT). CIRCULATION QUARTERS NOT AFFECTED (SINCE PRODUCED AT A DIFFERENT TIME, AND A DIFFERENT FACILITY ... MINT SETS AND COLOURIZED QUARTERS ARE STRUCK AT THE SAME FACILITY - CIRCULATION COINS ARE STRUCK AT ANOTHER FACILITY). (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

 (SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED).

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YEAR 2008  

***     THE 6TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS SNOWBOARDING RELEASED FEB 20, 2008. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 7TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS FREESTYLE SKIING RELEASED APRIL 16, 2008. (I HAVE NOTICE SOME WITH MINOR ROTATED DIES - THERE IS TOLERANCES FROM THE MINT - SO THE ROTATION WOULD HAVE TO BE OUT OF THOSE TOLERANCES TO START COMMANDING PRICE PREMIUMS). (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 1ST OF 2, 2010 OLYMPIC LOONIES IS THE  2008 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIE FOR THE BEIJING OLYMPICS. {also referred to as flying loon / loonie}. RELEASED JULY 23, 2008 WITH A MINTAGE OF 10 MILLION [re RCM Mint press release].         (NOT GODLESS - HAS D.G. REGINA ON OBVERSE - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

ALSO NOTE: LOONIES ARE MADE OF NICKEL, PLATED WITH BRONZE, AND ARE A BRONZE COLOUR, - THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE MADE OF GOLD, AS IN SOME PICTURES.  LOONIE: HAS NEVER BEEN REFERRED TO AS A 'GOLDEN' DOLLAR.

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THE FOLLOWING ARE REVISED ISSUE DATES AS OF SEPT 15/08. NOTE NEW DATES AND SHUFFLE OF SPORTS COIN RELEASES #9 TO #12.

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***     THE 8TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS FIGURE SKATING RELEASE DATE WAS TO BE SEPTEMEBER 10, 2008 AND HAS BEEN DELAYED - [A 1st FOR THE RCM MINT - TO MY KNOWLEDGE].  NEW RELEASE DATE MID-NOVERMBER, 2008.   (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

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YEAR 2009

for some reason, I cannot add any pictures [even with less than 10 pictures in guide], only delete. so until this is resolved, cannot add pix for 2009 coins.

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***     THE 9TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS CROSS COUNTRY SKIING RELEASES START OF 2009. (GODLESS - SEE 'GODLESS CIRCULATION COINS' ABOVE).

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 10TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS PARALYMPIC ICE SLEDGE HOCKEY. RELEASES EARLY SPRING 2009.

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 11TH IN THE SPEED SKATING. RELEASES EARLY SPRING 2009.

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 12TH IN THE SPORTS SERIES IS BOBSLEIGH. RELEASES EARLY SUMMER 2009.

(SEE PICTURE ABOVE, UNDER 2008 PICTURES -ORIGINALLY TO BE RELEASED END OF OCTOBER, 2008. ONLY 10 PICTURES ALLOWED)

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***     THE 1ST IN THE MEDALIST SERIES IS BRONZE MEDALIST. WILL BE COMPOSED OF AN ALLOY THAT REPLICATES A BRONZE MEDAL COLOUR. RELEASES SUMMER 2009.

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***     THE 2ND IN THE MEDALIST SERIES IS SILVER MEDALIST. WILL BE COMPOSED OF AN ALLOY THAT REPLICATES A SILVER MEDAL COLOUR. RELEASES LATE SUMMER 2009.

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***     THE 3RD IN THE MEDALIST SERIES IS GOLD MEDALIST. WILL BE COMPOSED OF AN ALLOY THAT REPLICATES A GOLD MEDAL COLOUR. RELEASES EARLY FALL 2009.

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***     THE 2ND OF 2, 2010 OLYMPIC LOONIES IS THE  2010 OLYMPIC LUCKY LOONIE FOR THE VANCOUVER OLYMPICS. THIS WILL REPRESENT THE VANCOUVER 2010 OLYMPIC GAMES. THIS MARKS THE FIRST TIME AN OLYMPIC LOONIE DOES NOT HAVE A LOON ON IT, IN ITS PLACE IT HAS THE 2010 VANCOUVER OLYMPIC SYMBOL (a modern  interpretation of the inukshuk - ilanaaq which is the inuktitut word for friend). RELEASES LATE 2009.

{a (pre)minting of a certain amount of all circulation coins were minted and put into various sets and a cardboard wheel - so if you find one of these, or any other post dated 2010 Olympic "circulation" coins it is not a fantastical find ... likely someone broke open the set to sell; or buy something -and it was found in change. these will be no different than coins minted for when they are issued.}

(according to the Mint, mintage is not disclosed for OLYMPIC LOONIES, until year end RCM report is published).

ALSO NOTE: LOONIES ARE MADE OF NICKEL, PLATED WITH BRONZE, AND ARE A BRONZE COLOUR, - THEY DO NOT LOOK LIKE THEY ARE MADE OF GOLD, AS IN SOME PICTURES.  LOONIE: HAS NEVER BEEN REFERRED TO AS A 'GOLDEN' DOLLAR.

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IF THIS GUIDE HAS BEEN HELPFUL, PLEASE INDICATE WITH A YES VOTE.  THIS IS THE ONLY GUIDE OF ITS KIND, AND WITH ONLY A HANDFUL OF YES VOTES... LIKE LESS THAN 1% (eg 7,100 views, 42 votes -with 38 positives),  IT DOES DISCOURAGE THE NEED TO KEEP IT CURRENT AND UPDATE THE GUIDE !

yes votes are much appreciated !!! THANK YOU.