2018 $20 Canada's Historical Stamps: Parliament Building 1927 Confederation

SKU# OK168022EB

2018 $20 Canada's Historical Stamps: Parliament Building 1927 Confederation Pure Silver Color Proof

CANADA'S FIRST STAMP-SHAPED COIN! Our first stamp-shaped coin complete with a perforated stamp-like edge!

Specifications

Composition - 99.99% pure silver

Finish - proof

Weight (g) - 31.86 (one troy ounce)

Diameter (mm) - 51 x 30

Certificate - serial numbered (serial numbers will vary)

Face Value - $20 (a legal tender Canadian coin)

Artist - Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Description

The centerpiece of Canada's parliamentary tradition, the Peace Tower, made its first appearance on a Canadian stamp on June 29, 1927, when a series of five commemorative stamps were issued to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation. This coin's design features a reproduction of the three-cent stamp from that series, the aptly titled Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings. Designed by Herman Herbert Schwartz and originally engraved by Harold Osborn, the brown carmine-colored stamp was issued by Canada's Post Office Department — known today as Canada Post — with a total of 15,431,000 printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company, which still prints Canada's stamps today.  Attention philatelists and numismatists! This coin combines the best of stamp & coin collecting!

Special features:

• CANADA'S FIRST STAMP-SHAPED COIN! With serrated edges that mimic a postal stamp's perforations, this pure silver coin is a numismatic celebration of Canada's postal and philatelic history, with a special focus on early 20th century stamp designs. The next two coins in the series are:
  • Arrival of Cartier - Québec 1535 (Fall 2018)
  • Coat of Arms and Flags Special Delivery (Winter 2018)
• THE CLASSIC LOOK OF A BYGONE ERA! This is the first coin in a limited series that travels back in time to 1927 to reproduce a stamp issued for Canada's Diamond Jubilee.
• FAITHFUL REPRODUCTION! The engraved reproduction of the 1927 stamp is just as detailed as the original — complete with horizontal lines that were the product of intaglio printing, or line engraving, one of the oldest methods of stamp production.
• VINTAGE COLORS! The addition of color over engraving completes this reproduction of the original brown carmine-colored stamp.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. Most of these are serialized certifications, meaning that each certificate is given a unique number, starting at 1.
• LOW MINTAGE: Only 5,000 coins will be made available worldwide.
• ONE-OUNCE 99.99% PURE SILVER COIN! For our Canadian customers, this coin is GST/HST exempt!

Design:

Engraved on the stamp-shaped reverse is a detailed reproduction of a Canadian postal stamp issued on June 29, 1927, to commemorate Canada's Diamond Jubilee. Titled Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings, the original design by Herman Herbert Schwartz and engraved by Harold Osborn, features a front view of the Peace Tower and Centre Block building on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa. The three-cent stamp was printed using the traditional intaglio printing or line engraving method, as evidenced by the horizontal lines re-created on the reverse. An application of modern color mimics the brown carmine hue of the original issue, while the double dates "1867" and "1927" and the word "CONFEDERATION" reflect the 60th anniversary of Confederation. Like the 1927 stamp, the reverse includes ornamental flourishes and the word "CANADA" on a scroll banner, along with the bilingual "POSTES / POST" and the face value, represented by the number "3" and the word "CENTS". The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Did you know...

• Designed by Sir Sandford Fleming in 1851, the Three-Pence Beaver is Canada's first stamp and one of the world's earliest pictorial stamps.
• The first perforated stamp was issued in 1858. The rows of holes or "teeth" made it easier to separate individual stamps from a sheet, which were previously hand cut by postal clerks.
• Herman Herbert Schwartz designed many Canadian stamps issued between 1927 and 1954, including a collector favorite: the Bluenose in 1929. Schwartz also designed one of the first Canadian stamps to feature Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, issued in 1953.
• Prior to 1967, many of Canada's stamps were the product of an engraving process. Like a coin, each design was engraved to scale (in reverse) on a master die, followed by a test run of trial prints known as "die proofs." Once approved, the die was hardened and copied to a "transfer roll," which impressed hundreds of copies of the design onto a metal plate that would print the sheets of stamps. A total of three plates of 200 stamps each were used to print the stamp re-created on the reverse.

Packaging

Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell protected by a black beauty box.

Shipping & Handling

Fast, free shipping & handling via USPS First Class Mail to all U.S. addresses.  USPS Priority Mail & Priority Mail Express are also available for an additional charge.  International shipping is via the ebay Global Shipping Program.

Additional Information

Photos: When a listing offers multiples of the same coin, one coin is picked at random and photographed.  Since all coins offered in that listing are essentially identical, the coin photographed is representative of all coins offered.

Surface areas that appear black on some proof coin photos are actually highly polished, mirror-bright metal reflecting the color of the camera. We often include proof coin photos with the coin slightly tilted to better depict the mirror bright surfaces.  However, tilting the coin may result in one side being slightly out of focus.  Please review all of the photos provided to obtain the best understanding of the coin's actual appearance.

Our goal is to provide clear, high definition photos that accurately represent the coin(s) offered in each of our eBay listings.  Whenever possible, we use actual photos of our coins, rather than just stock artwork from the Mint.  We frequently update and upgrade the photos that appear with our listings, using improved cameras and lenses and better lighting.  We will honor your requests for additional photos as quickly as our schedule permits.