Canadian Proof-Like (PL) Sets-  part 2

This article continues with more information about the beautiful proof-like sets issued by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Sets and varieties

The sets were issued in different groupings. I will go over varieties in the years when they are important, and give the mintage figures for each year.

Proof-like sets 1954-1960: silver coins, cardboard flat packs. 

These sets contain a bronze 1 Cent coin, a nickel 5 Cents coin, and silver 10-25-50 Cents-1 Dollar coins. These sets were issued in white cardboard flats, and enclosed in cellophane. Because the cardboard is acidic, and harmful to the coins, these are often found in Capital Plastic hard cases.
 The 1954 1 cent coins were normally made with the lower relief shoulder straps head design. A very few of them have the higher relief no shoulder strap variety used in early 1953. It can be distinguished in 2 ways- the I in the lettering have a pronounced flare towards the rim, and the No shoulder fold obverse heads have the  I of DEI points between the long denticles. The shoulder fold obverse heads have a very slight flare on the I’s, and the I of Dei points towards a short denticles.
The 1955 dollars come with 2 varieties. Most are the regular dollars. A few are the “Arnprior” variety, which have 2½ water lines in front of the canoe, instead of the normal 4 lines.
The 1958 Dollar coins are commemoratives, showing a totem pole. This design commemorates the joining of the Crown Colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island in 1858, to form the Crown Colony of British Columbia. The Totem Pole design is by Stephan Trenka, and the coin is very popular.
 The 1959 50 Cent coins shows a new, thinner shield design, and the 1960 50 Cent coin shows a different shading on one section, correcting the colour originally indicated in 1959.                          There are 3 varieties of the printing on the 1960 holders.
Please note- the mintage figures for the silver sets are what was originally made, and large numbers of the coins were melted as the price of silver rose higher. There will be much less of the more “common” silver sets than the mintage figures indicate.

                                                     Mintage
1954 Shoulder Fold 1 Cent           3,000
1954 No Shoulder Fold 1 Cent      inc. above
1955 4 Water Lines Dollar             6,300
1955 2 ½ Water Lines Dollar         inc. above
1956                                              6,500

1957                                            11,862
1958 Totem Pole Dollar               18,259
1959                                            31,577
1960                                            64,097

Proof-like Sets 1961-1967: Silver coins, Pliofilm packs

The sets of this period were issued as collecting Canadian coins became more popular, and as the rise in the silver price caused by the Hunt brothers trying to corner the market made the silver in the sets much more valuable than the face value of the coins.
The 1964 dollar is a commemorative, celebrating the Charlottetown conference of 1864, which led to Canadian Confederation in 1867.
The 1965 coins have the new Arnold Machin mature head design of Queen Elizabeth. They also have varieties of both the Dollar and the 1 Cent coin. The 1965 Dollars and Cents show either Pointed or Blunt 5 in the date, and either small beads or large beads around the rim of the obverse designs, resulting in 4 varieties of these issues for 1965.
The 1967 coins were commemoratives, celebrating the Confederation of Canada in 1867 from 4 Crown Colonies. The designs of Alex Colville were used, showing a rock dove on the 1 Cent, a rabbit on the 5 Cents, a mackerel on the 10 Cents, a bobcat on the 25 cents, a howling wolf on the 50 Cents, and a flying Canada Goose on the Dollar coin. The issue of these coins continued into 1968, even though the price of silver had risen to $50 per ounce.  That was the last of the regular circulating Silver coins.

                                                                                   Mintage
1961                                                                              98,373
1962                                                                            200,950       
1963                                                                            673,000
1964 Charlottetown Commemorative                         1,653,162
1965 small beads, pointed 5 $1; pointed 5 1 cent        2,904,352

1965 small beads, pointed 5 $1; blunt 5 1 Cent             inc. above
1965 small beads, blunt 5 $1; pointed 5 1 cent              inc. above
1965 small beads, blunt 5 $1; blunt 5 1 Cent                 inc. above
1966                                                                              672,514
1967 Centennial Commemorative                                   963,714

Proof-like Sets 1968-1987: nickel coins, voyageur dollar

In 1968, the formerly silver coins were replaced with issues of pure nickel. The designs were modified in size and proportion during several years, as nickel was much harder to strike than silver. The 1968 Dollar comes in 3 varieties, the regular design, with the island ahead of the canoe showing at about a 45 degree angle, the Small island design, which shows the island at about a 60 degree angle, and the No Island dollar, which has the island eliminated because of die polishing.
 The 1970 regular coins were issued in especially small numbers, and the 1970 Dollar shows a Prairie Crocus, commemorating the original part of Manitoba that joined Confederation in 1870.
 The 1971 Dollar shows the British Columbia shield, with a Dogwood flower design. This commemorated the Crown Colony of British Columbia joining Canada in 1871, after the promise of a railway to connect the colonies was given.
The 1973 set has 2 commemoratives. The 25 cent shows the Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman,
commemorating the formation of the Royal North West Mounted Police in 1873. The RNWMP became the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s National Police force. There are 2 varieties of 25 Cent coin, the regular issue, which has a new, low-relief, high definition hairline obverse, and the much scarcer mule, which shows the standard high relief, low definition hairline design used in previous years. The Dollar coin commemorates Prince Edward Island joining Confederation. It shows the Legislature Building, where several meetings took place resulting in Canada’s Confederation, and its joining by Canada’s smallest province.
The Dollar of 1974 commemorates the Centennial of the City of Winnipeg, with its design of old and new in the 2 0’s of 100. There is a variety which shows an extra yoke in the empty space above the oxen. 
The 1977-1983 coins show differences in the designs, with proportions and denticles changing from year to year.The 1977 dollars have either regular-length water lines, or the scarcer short water lines variety.
 The 1978 50 Cent coins have either square or round jewels in the bands of the crown on the reverse.
 The 1979 50 Cents have either a rounded or a pointed bust on the 50 Cent coin.
 In 1985 a variety of the packaging was produced, with a short-lived hard plastic package.
The 1987 set was the last to show the voyageur design.

                                                                                            Mintage
1968                                                                                      521,641
1968 Small Island $1                                                           inc. above
1968 No island $1                                                               inc. above
1968 Doubled water lines                                                     inc. above
1969                                                                                      326,203       

1970 Manitoba Commemorative                                             349,120
1971British Columbia Commemorative                                    253,311
1972                                                                                       224,275
1973 Large Bust 25 Cents, Mountie 25 Cents, PEI Dollar        243,695
1973 Small Bust 25 Cents, Mountie 25 Cents, PEI Dollar         inc. above

1974 Winnipeg Commemorative                                              213,589
1974 Doubled Die                                                                    inc. above     
1975                                                                                       197,372
1976                                                                                       171,737
1977                                                                                       225,307     

1977 Short water lines                                                              inc. above
1978 Square Jewels                                                                  260,000
1978 Round Jewels                                                                   inc. above
1979 Rounded Bust                                                                  187,624
1979 Pointed Bust                                                                     inc. above  

1980                                                                                         169,390
1981                                                                                         186,250
1982                                                                                          203,287
1983                                                                                         190,838      
1984                                                                                         181,415

1985 Pliofilm holder                                                                   173,924
1985 Hard Plastic holder                                                            inc. above
1986                                                                                         167,338
1987                                                                                          212,136