A Mint for Canada
On January 2, 1908, Governor General Earl Grey activated the press to strike the Dominion's first domestically produced coin, a fifty-cent piece. As an audience of dignitaries looked on, the Countess Grey closed the ceremony by striking Canada's first bronze cent. The Ottawa branch of Britain's Royal Mint was officially open for business.
In 1931, the heritage building on Sussex Drive, the surrounding land and the entire minting enterprise passed into Canadian hands, making the Mint a wholly Canadian institution.
From rough gold to fine
The creation of the Royal Mint coincided with an era of burgeoning gold production in the Yukon and British Columbia. A refinery was needed to perform the complex work of bringing rough gold up to coinage standards.
The Canadian Mint's original refinery was completed in 1911. It rendered distinguished service to the British Empire throughout the Great War, producing the large quantities of gold bars with which Britain paid its debts to other countries.
A new refinery facility, designed to meet any possible demand for many years to come, was built in 1936 to refine gold for mines and central banks throughout the world. Still in operation today, the refinery has produced 9999 fine gold bars since 1969. In 1982, it became the world's first refinery to produce 9999 fine gold bullion coins. Then in 1999, the Mint excelled again by being the first to achieve 99999 fine gold purity.
The world looks on in awe
The Royal Canadian Mint's proud history reached a new peak in 2007 with the Guinness World Records certification of the largest coin in the world: the masterpiece 100 kg, 99.999% pure $1 million gold bullion coin.
Take a trip back in time
Scroll through the years and discover some of the most interesting coins and milestones in the Mint's history. Click the arrows on the right and left to move forward or backward through each decade.
Visit the Shop section to view our most recent coins and collectibles.
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