Journal - Ottawa Numismatic Society

The Ottawa numismatic society
La société numismatique d’Ottawa
The
Le
Journal
ISSN 2292-6933
Vol. 1, No. 5 (Sep/Oct 2014 | sep/oct 2014)
Left: This is the Bank of Canada $5
polymer series note that
Commander Chris Hadfield unveiled
in space in April 2013. The note will
be on display in the new Bank of
Canada Museum starting in mid2017.
Below: An enlargement of the note
reveals some unique features! Read
the Editor’s note to find out what
they are!
À gauche : Le billet de 5 $ en polymère
de la Banque du Canada que le
Commandant Chris Hadfield a dévoilé
dans l’espace en avril 2013. Le billet
sera exposé dans le nouveau Musée
de la Banque du Canada à compter de
la mi-2017.
En bas : Le billet contient des éléments
unique. Lisez le billet du rédacteur en
chef pour en savoir plus!
IN THIS ISSUE…
DANS ce Numéro…
• From Wilf Lauber, part 2 of his article on 100-franc commemorative coins of the 5 th Republic.
De Wilf Lauber, la deuxième partie de son article sur les pièces commémoratives de 100 francs
de la V e République française.
• From Ron Cheek: “The Saint John, New Brunswick Coronation Medal”
| P a g e 1 De Ron Cheek : « La médaille de couronnement de Saint John (Nouveau-Brunswick) »
The Journal is a publication of the Ottawa Numismatic Society. Published every two months, it aims to promote money collecting and numismatics in Canada’s National Capital Region. The publication is available to paid members and the general public through the ONS website. Back issues of ONS publications are available on line to read or download. Le Journal est une publication de la Société numismatique d’Ottawa. Publié aux deux mois, il vise à promouvoir la collection de monnaie et la numismatique dans la Région de la capitale nationale. Cette publication est disponible aux membres, ainsi qu’au grand public, à travers le site web de la SNO. Les numéros antérieurs sont disponibles en ligne; prêts à être lus ou téléchargé. Contact Information The Ottawa Numismatic Society P.O. Box 11086, Station H Ottawa, ON K2H 7T8 CANADA Pour nous contacter La Société numismatique d’Ottawa C.P. 11086, succursale H Ottawa (Ontario) K2H 7T8 CANADA E‐mail: info@ons‐sno.ca Website: http://www.ons‐sno.ca Courriel : info@ons‐sno.ca Site Web : http://www.ons‐sno.ca The society meets every month, usually on the fourth Monday. Doors open at 7:00 pm and the meetings begin at 7:30 pm in the Theatre (on the 3rd floor) of the Heron Road Multi‐Service Centre, 1480 Heron Rd, Ottawa. La société se réunit habituellement le quatrième lundi de chaque mois. Les portes ouvrent à 19 h et la réunion débute à 19 h 30 dans le théâtre (au 3e étage) du Heron Road Multi‐Service Centre, 1480 chemin Heron, Ottawa. Annual dues: $12.00 Frais d’adhésion annuels : 12,00 $ Executive Committee President: Steve Woodland Vice President: Serge Pelletier Secretary: Rod MacDonald Treasurer: Wilf Lauber Conseil d’administration Président : Steve Woodland Vice‐président : Serge Pelletier Secrétaire : Rod MacDonald Trésorier : Wilf Lauber Key positions Journal Editor: David Bergeron WebMaster: Mark Dennis Greeter/Prizes: Kim Zbitnew Postes clés Rédacteur en chef du Journal : David Bergeron Webmestre : Mark Dennis Accueil/Prix : Kim Zbitnew Next Meetings: Prochaines rencontres : October Octobre Date: Monday, October 27 2014 Speaker: Greg Zbitnew Topic: to be announced Novembre Date : Le lundi, 27 octobre 2014 Invité d’honneur : Greg Zbitnew Objet : à suivre November Date: Monday, November 22, 2014 Speaker: none Topic: Exhibit competition Table of Contents Date : Le lundi, 22 novembre2014 Invité d’honneur : Aucun Objet : compétition d’expositions Table des matières President’s Word.................................................. page 3
Editor’s Message................................................... page 4
Minutes of the ONS Meetings .......................... page 4
100‐franc Commemorative Coins of the 5th Republic (Part 2) by Wilf Lauber ………page 5
The Saint‐John New Brunswick Coronation Medal by Ron Cheek.................................... page 12
In Your Pockets ..................................................... page 14
What’s New?........................................................... Page 15
What’s Happening?.............................................. Page 15
Le mot du président.................................................page 3
Le mot du rédacteur en chef.................................page 4
Résumé des assemblées de la SNO ....................page 4
Les pieces commemoratives de 100 francs de la Ve République française (Part 2) par Wilf Lauber....................................................................page 5
La médaille de couronnement de Saint‐Jean (Nouveau‐Brunswick) par Ron Cheek .....page 12
Dans vos poches ........................................................page 14
Quoi de neuf? ..............................................................Page 15
| P a g e 2 A Word from the President
Le mot du Président Fall is upon us once again, a kaleidoscope of Encore une fois l’automne est à nos portes avec son kaléidoscope de couleurs, des feuilles qui s’accumulent au sol, et la beauté de mère Nature tout autour de nous alors qu’elle se prépare pour le froid et la neige de l’hiver. colours on the trees, leaves accumulating on the ground, and the beauty of Mother Nature all around us as she prepares for the cold and snow of the upcoming winter. Our numismatic hobby has also shifted gears from the summer hiatus (albeit less so this year with the RCNA Convention being held in August instead of July) to the busy autumn schedule of shows, auctions and club meetings. We are particularly fortunate in Ontario, particularly the south‐central area, as we have several major shows and auctions we can attend each fall. For our October meeting, Kim Zbitnew will be our guest speaker. Unfortunately, I will be out of town for the meeting and will miss his talk. In November the club will once again hold the annual Fesco display competition, but we are going to change some of the rules to make the activity more interesting and to add variety. Wilf Lauber will talk about this at the October meeting. Pour la réunion d’octobre, Kim Zbitnew sera notre conférencier invité. Malheureusement, je vais être en voyage et manquerai sa présentation. En novembre, le club tiendra le concours annuel Fesco des expositions, mais nous allons changer certaines règles pour rendre l’activité plus intéressante et ajouter de la variété. Wilf Lauber parlera à ce sujet lors de la réunion d’octobre. November is also election month. If you are interested in contributing to the club as a member of the Executive, please let Pierre Morel know. We are also looking for volunteers to organize and coordinate the many activities we have in the ONS. Many hands make light work, so please see any member of the Executive if you would like to contribute or have an idea. Novembre est aussi le mois des élections. Si vous êtes intéressé à contribuer au club en tant que membre du conseil d’administration, veuillez contacter Pierre Morel. Nous recherchons également des bénévoles pour organiser et coordonner les nombreuses activités de la SNO. Un grand nombre de contributeurs allège le fardeau de chacun, donc parlez à un membre du conseil d’administrations si vous désirez contribuer ou si vous avez des suggestions. As per tradition, December’s meeting will be our annual Awards Banquet when we recognize the contribution of our members to the Society. Dave Sullivan is organizing the event, which will be on Tuesday evening, December 9th (location to be announced). If you wish to nominate someone as ONS Member of the Year or Numismatist of the Year, contact me at president@ons‐sno.ca. Enjoy the October meeting and I will see you in November! La numismatique a également changé de tactique après la pause estivale (un peu moins longue cette année avec le congrès de l’ARNC en août plutôt qu’en juillet) à l’horaire d’automne occupé de salons, de ventes aux enchères et de réunions de clubs. Les Ontariens sont particulièrement chanceux, surtout la région du centre‐sud, comme nous avons chaque automne plusieurs évènements principaux auxquels nous pouvons assister. Steve Selon la tradition, la réunion de décembre sera notre Banquet de récompenses et de reconnaissance annuel. Dave Sullivan organise l’évènement, qui aura lieu le mardi soir, 9 décembre (lieu à confirmer). Si vous souhaitez nommer quelqu’un comme Membre de l’année ou Numismate de l’année, contactez‐moi à president@ons‐sno.ca. Profitez‐en de la réunion d’octobre et je vais vous voir en novembre! Steve | P a g e 3 From the Editor Le mot du rédacteur en chef There’s never a dull moment in my job as Curator of the National Currency Collection! Either I’m busy doing research ahead of building the new Bank of Canada Museum, giving presentations to a wide variety of audiences and groups, bidding on pieces to build the collection, editing the next issue of the ONS Journal or assuming custody of the only bank note to have ever gone into space! Je n’ai jamais le temps de m’ennuyer dans mon poste comme conservateur de la Collection nationale de monnaies! Je fais de la recherche pour le nouveau Musée de la Banque du Canada, je donne des présentations devant différents groupes, je mise sur des pièces afin d’augmenter la Collection, ou je prends possession du seul billet de banque au monde à avoir voyagé dans l’espace! Last month, the Bank of Canada Museum took possession of the $5 Polymer note that Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield took along with him into space during his mission on the International Space Station in 2013. Commander Hadfield unveiled the note, which features Canadarm2 and Dextre, from space on April 30 2013 via a live Cvideo broadcast. Because the note had to be printed long before the event, it contains some interesting features that make it unique: the holographic foil is for a $100 note (notice the portrait of Sir Robert Borden), to the left of the foil is the official stamp of the International Space Station, no serial number. This note is unmistakeable! By the way this month’s ONS Journal features articles by Wilf Lauber and Ron Cheek. Happy reading! En passant, ce numéro du journal de la SNO contient des articles par Wilf Lauber et Ron Cheek. Bonne lecture! David
David
Meeting summary – August/September Résumé des rencontres ­ août/septembre August's meeting had Dave Sullivan give part one of his presentation on counterfeit American Eagle bullion coins, which has become a popular form of collecting silver. Dave demonstrated the many discrepancies in the production of counterfeit versus genuine coins. There was an excellent show‐and‐tell with a wide range of pieces presented from a modern encased cent from Almonte to gold coinage of French Third Empire. En août, Dave Sullivan a présenté la première partie de son discours au sujet des fausses monnaies‐lingots type « American Eagle, » pièces très populaire parmi les collectionneurs de pièce en argent. Dave a révélé plusieurs façons de différentier entre une vraie et une fausse pièce. La période partage comprenait une grande variété d’articles, y compris une pièce encastrée d’Almonte et des pièces d’or de la Troisième République française. Dave Sullivan returned for September's meeting to conclude his presentation on counterfeit silver American Eagle bullion coins. Chris LaSalle also gave a talk on early 19th century Jersey coins in which he highlighted the silver 18 pence and 3 shilling coins, as well as some coppers from the Commercial series that follows the Conder series. A reminder that November’s meeting, will be in the St Peter room on the third floor next to the theatre. Have fun with your collection! Le mois dernier, le Musée de la Banque du Canada a reçu le billet de 5 $ en polymère que l’astronaute canadien Chris Hadfield a amené avec lui pendant sa mission sur la Station spatiale internationale en 2013. Le Commandant Hadfield a dévoilé le billet qui illustre Canadarm2 et Dextre de l’espace le 30 avril 2013 par vidéoconférence. Parce que le billet a été imprimé bien avant l’événement, il contient des éléments intéressants qui le rend unique : la bande holographique pour le 100 $ (remarquez le portrait de Sir Robert Borden), à gauche l’étampe officiel de la Station spatiale internationale, aucun numéro de série. Vraiment un billet à part! Rod
En septembre Dave a présenté la 2e partie de son discours, accompagné par de belles illustrations. Chris LaSalle nous a parlé des pièces de Jersey du début du XIXe siècle, en particulier les pièces en argent de 18 pence et de 3 shillings et des pièces en cuivre de la série dit « Commercial » (qui suit la série dite « Conder »). Rappel : la rencontre du mois de novembre aura lieu au Salon St. Peter au 3e étage proche au Salon Théatre. Amusez‐vous avec vos collections! | P a g e 4 Rod
100­Franc Commemorative Coins of the 5th Republic, part 2 by Wilfred Lauber
Between 1984 and 1997 the French mint issued 14
special circulation coins commemorating famous people
and historic events in French history. Many of this series
of commemorative coins follow the general theme of
European Unity and the European Union. Each of these
coins was made of 90 percent silver, weighed 15 grams
and measured 31mm in diameter.1 This article completes
the discussion of the 100-franc commemorative coins
from 1990 until 1997.
Fig. 1: The obverse of the coin shows the head of
Charlemagne facing with the words CHARLE MAGNE 742
814 around the rim. The beard while esthetically interesting
is purely imaginary. In fact he was six feet four inches
(1.93m) tall with white hair, animated eyes and a powerful
nose. To the right of the head is the name of the engraver C
(Carola) Tietz. Image © Serge Pelletier
The memory of Charlemagne is celebrated in
the 1990 commemorative 100-franc coin issued by the
French mint. (Fig.1 and 2) Charlemagne, also known as
Charles the Great or Charles I, was born on April 2, 742.
At the age of 26, he and his younger brother, Carloman
inherited the Kingdom of the Franks. Carloman died
three years later in 771 and Charlemagne became sole
ruler of the Carolingian Empire. He was determined to
strengthen his realm and bring order to Europe. By
establishing a central government over Western Europe
he restored much of the unity of the old Roman Empire.
He believed that government should be for the benefit of
the governed and, as a reformer he tried to improve his
subjects’ lives by setting up money standards and
commerce and better farming methods. He and his
government produced a cultural renewal called
Carolingian Renaissance. This renewal was given shape
by a circle of educated men to whom he gave prominent
Fig. 2: The reverse shows the carolin monogram
(KAROLVS) (signature of the Emperor) with two branches
of vegetable plants below. Image © Serge Pelletier
place in his court in the 780’s and 790’s. His primary
goal was to extend and improve Latin literacy as an
essential skill to enable administrators and pastors to
effectively discharge their responsibilities. A new writing
system was inaugurated to make copying and reading
easier in the production of books and manuals.
Measures were undertaken to increase the number of
students and schools. Some of the schoolmasters went
beyond elementary Latin education and developed
| P a g e 5 curricula and textbooks in the traditional seven liberal
arts.2 On Christmas day in 800AD, Charlemagne was
crowned Emperor of the Romans (now known as the
Holy Roman Empire). He died at age 71 on January 28,
814. He was buried in Aachen Cathedral. In 1215
Frederick II reinterred his body in a casket made of gold
and silver.3
geometry and the Cartesian coordinate system. In 1644
Descartes produced “The Principles of Philosophy”
which was the most complete statement of his
philosophy and of the Cartesian system. Part I explains
his metaphysical views. Part II gives a detailed
exposition of the principles of Cartesian physics. Part III
applies those principles of physics to give a detailed
explanation of the universe and Part IV deals with a wide
variety of terrestrial phenomena. He died in Stockholm
on February 1, 1650 at the age of 53. He had moved
there less than a year earlier at the request of Queen
Christina, to be her philosophy tutor.4
Fig. 3: The obverse shows a portrait of Descartes facing
right with long hair flowing on the left into a pile of books
and on the right into a parchment scroll. Image © Serge
Pelletier
In 1991 the French mint issued a
commemorative 100-franc coin celebrating the French
philosopher, Mathematician and scientist René
Descartes. (Fig. 3 and 4) Descartes was born on March
31, 1596 in La Haye, France, and is best known for his
famous observation, “I think, therefore I am.” At the age
of eight he went to a Jesuit boarding school where he
studied rhetoric, logic, mathematical arts, music,
astronomy, as well as metaphysics, natural philosophy
and ethics. He moved to the Netherlands in 1628 and
stayed there for more than 20 years during which he
wrote all his major works. He was both a mathematician
and a philosopher. In mathematics he is the father of
analytical geometry, the bridge between algebra and
Fig. 4: The reverse shows a hand pointing to a scroll
around which the twelve stars of the European Union
appear. The name of the engraver, A. (Andreas) Gal,
appears at the bottom. Image © Serge Pelletier
The life of Jean Monnet was celebrated with the
1992 commemorative 100-franc coin. (Fig. 5 and 6) Jean
Omer Marie Gabriel Monnet was born on November 9,
1888 in Cognac, France. At the age of 16, he
abandoned formal education and moved to London for
two years. In 1906, his father sent him abroad to work
for the family cognac business. He was told not to bring
books, as no one could think for him. “Look out the
window, talk to people” his father said. Monnet made
| P a g e 6 trips to Scandinavia, Russia, Egypt, Canada and the
United States. Since he was discharged from the military
in 1914 for health reasons he saw that the only path that
would lead to victory was in the fusion of France and
England’s war efforts. Clemenceau and Balfour named
him Secretary General of the League of Nations in 1919.
He resigned in 1923 because of problems in the family
business. As an international financier he was
instrumental in the recovery of several Central and
Eastern European countries. Also from 1934 to 1936, he
lived in China assisting with the reorganization of their
railway network. He went to London to oversee the
collectivization of France and the United Kingdom’s
production capacities. Monnet’s influence inspired de
Gaulle and Churchill to accept the plan for total union of
the two countries.
Fig. 5: The obverse of the coin shows the head of Jean
Monnet facing three quarters left with the twelve stars of the
European Union surrounding the head. Around the rim are
the words COMMUNAUTE EUROPEENNE JEAN MONNET
UNIR LES HOMMES. The name of the engraver J (Joaquin)
Jimenez is shown behind the head. Image © Serge Pelletier
In August 1940, he was sent to the US as a
member of the British Supply Council to negotiate the
purchase of war supplies. There, he persuaded
President Roosevelt to launch a massive arms
production to supply the Allies with military material. In
1943, as a member of the National Liberation Committee
of the free French government in Algiers, he said: “there
will be no peace in Europe if the states rebuild
themselves on the basis of national sovereignty. The
countries of Europe are not strong enough individually to
be able to guarantee prosperity and social development
for their peoples. The states of Europe must therefore
form a federation or a European entity that would make
them into a common economic unit.” As a first step
toward unity he and his team conceived the idea, and in
1950 prepared the Declaration for the European Coal
and Steel Community (ECSC), whose members
consisted of France, West Germany, Italy, Belgium,
Luxembourg and the Netherlands. He worked tirelessly
to form the European Union including the creation of the
Common Market, the European Council and the election
of the European Parliament by universal suffrage. At the
European Council in Luxembourg on April 2, 1976, the
heads of state and government proclaimed Jean Monnet
an “Honorary Citizen of Europe.”5 He died on March 16,
1979 at the age of 91 and his ashes were interred in the
Pantheon.
Fig. 6: On the reverse are twelve interlaced circles and
the name of the engraver A (Alain) Paoli at five o’clock at
the rim. Image © Serge Pelletier
| P a g e 7 Fig. 7: The obverse of the coin shows a semi-nude Liberté
holding the French tricolor flag in her raised right hand and
a gun with a bayonet in her left hand. The legend around
the rim to the right reads: LA LIBERTÉ GUIDANT LE
PEUPLE. A rosette (a type of signature) by the painter
Eugene Delacroix is displayed at the bottom to the left of
the dress. Image © Serge Pelletier
In 1993 the French Mint celebrated the
bicentennial of the Museum of the Louvre with a special
100-franc coin. (Fig. 7 and 8) The Muséum central des
arts de la République (as it was originally called) opened
its doors on August 10, 1793. The displayed works were
mostly paintings from the collections of the French royal
family and aristocrats who had fled abroad. However,
the history of this building began centuries before.
Philippe Auguste built the first fortress in 1190. This was
not a royal residence but a sizeable arsenal. In 1364
Raymond du temple, architect to Charles V, began
transforming the old fortress into a splendid royal
residence. The medieval Louvre gave way to a
Renaissance palace in 1527 when François I decided to
take up residence in Paris. The transformation of
François’s chateau continued under Henry II and his
sons. The King’s Pavilion (Le pavillon du roi in French)
that housed the King’s private apartments on the first
floor was finally completed under Henry IV in 1560.
The reigns of Louis XIII and Louis XIV had a
major impact on the Louvre and Tuileries palaces. The
work started under Louis XIII and completed by Louis
XIV was stopped when the king moved to Versailles. In
1692 Louis XV ordered the creation of a gallery of
antique sculpture that resulted in the Louvre that we see
today. At the same time the deserted palace received
new occupants, the Academy Française. In 1791, the
revolutionary National Assembly decreed that the Louvre
would be a national palace for the gathering together of
all the monuments of the sciences and the arts. This
central museum of art finally opened on August 10,
1793. Under Charles X, the first Egyptian antiquities
were added. On February 15, 1852 Louis-Napoleon
opened the “Musée des souverains” that displayed
treasures from France’s royal dynasties from Childeric I
to Napoleon. During the Second World War most of the
Museum’s collections were moved out to various
locations for safety. On September 26, 1981, President
François Mitterrand announced a plan to restore the
Louvre Palace in its entirety to its function as a museum.
This modernization, which is best known for the
construction of the glass pyramid, was entrusted to the
Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei.6
Fig. 8: The reverse shows the pyramids of the Architect
Ieoh Ming Pei in front of the royal palace of the Louvre with
the words BICENTENNAIRE DU MUSÉE DU LOUVRE at
the top. Image © Serge Pelletier
| P a g e 8 The 1994 and 1995 commemorative 100-franc
coins (Fig.9 to 12) will be discussed together since they
celebrated the fiftieth anniversaries of the liberation of
Paris and the end of the Second World War. From an
artistic point of view these two coins are the most
beautiful (most artistically pleasing). At the start of the
Second World War the fall of France was completed on
May 18, 1940 as part of the German Blitzkrieg through
Holland and Belgium. There after France was partitioned
into an occupied part in the North and an unoccupied
part in the South administered by a puppet regime at
Vichy with General Pétain as leader. Charles de Gaulle
set up a Free French government in London. With
General Philippe Leclerc (nom-de-guerre of Philippe
Francois Marie de Hauteclocque), they started fighting
their way back to France starting in South Sahara Africa
and then joining the Allies in North Africa. After D-Day,
General Leclerc and the Free French army fought with
the Allies through France and finally after much lobbying
were allowed to “Liberate” Paris on August 24-26, 1944.
After almost another year of fighting in France, Holland
and Germany the Nazis finally capitulated on May 8,
1945.7
Fig. 9: The obverse of the 1994 coin depicts Charles de
Gaulle and his companions (including Leclerc on his
right) descending the Champs-Elysées with the Arch de
Triomphe in the background. Image © Serge Pelletier
Fig. 10: The reverse has the words LIBÉRATION DE
PARIS 1944 around the rim. The picture shows the twin
spires of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in the background with
a tank of the 2e DB (Division Blindée) of Leclerc, who
liberated Paris with three members of the French
Resistance in the centre beside the tank. Image © Serge
Pelletier
Fig.11: The obverse of the 1995 coin has the word PAX
under the different flags of the Allies with a flock of
doves at the top. Image © Serge Pelletier
| P a g e 9 both he and Clothilde were buried.8, 9 The site is now
called the Pantheon. Clovis is remembered for three
main accomplishments: the unification of the Frankish
nation, the conquest of Gaul and his conversion to
Christianity. He died on November 27, 511AD.10 The
name Clovis evolved into Louis for the French kings.
Fig. 12: The reverse has a large 8 MAI 1945 in two
lines on top of two French flags. Around the rim are the
words RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE 1995. Image ©
Serge Pelletier
The 1996 commemorative 100-franc coin
celebrated the 1500th anniversary of the baptism of
Clovis, King of the Francs. (Fig. 13 and 14) Clovis was
the founder of the Merovingian dynasty (428-751) of
Frankish kings after he defeated the last Roman ruler in
Gaul and conquered the various Germanic peoples in
what today is France. His conversion to Catholicism and
baptism on Christmas day in 496AD was mainly due to
the influence of his Catholic wife, Clotilda. The legend of
his conversion (baptism) is that he was in a fierce battle
with the Alemanni and seemed to be losing. He then
looked up to heaven humbly and spoke: “Most Mighty
God, whom my queen Clothilde worships and adores
with heart and soul, I pledge you perpetual service unto
your faith, if only you give me now the victory over my
enemies.” Immediately his men were filled with burning
valour and a great fear smote his enemies as they fled.
Clovis went immediately to Reims, in Frankland, and told
his queen what had happened. The Queen went to St.
Remi, the archbishop of Reims who came and preached
to the King the Christian faith and taught him the way of
the cross. After having made his profession of the
orthodox faith, Clovis was baptised, his head plunged
three times into holy water. He went on to build a
splendid church in Paris called St-Geneviève, where
Fig. 13: The obverse of the coin shows a bust of Clovis
facing front in his breastplate and holding a spear in his
right hand. The words CLOVIS ROI DES FRANCS are
around the rim below the bust. Image © Serge Pelletier
Fig. 14: The reverse is a Roman style representation of
the baptism of Clovis at Reims by two saints. Image ©
Serge Pelletier
| P a g e 10 Gaulle returned to the French presidency in 1958,
Malraux became France’s first Minister of Cultural Affairs
from 1958-1969. He died on November 23, 1976 and
was buried in the Verrières-le-Buisson cemetery in
Essonne. In recognition of his contributions to French
culture, his body was enshrined in the Pantheon in 1966
on the 20th anniversary of his death.11, 12
Fig. 15: The obverse of the coin shows the head of
Malraux with his name around the rim below and the dates
1901 and 1976 to the right. The signature of the engraver
P Rodier is along the left collar. Image © Serge Pelletier
The last commemorative 100-franc coin was
issued in 1997 to celebrate the life of André Malraux.
(Fig. 15 and 16) He was born in Paris on November 3,
1901. He went to Cambodia in 1923 to search for lost
Khmer temples and returned to East Asia several times.
On his return he wrote several books on eastern history
and culture including The Temptation of the West (1926)
and Man’s Fate (La condition humaine in French).
During the Spanish Civil War, he joined the Republican
forces and helped organize the Spanish Republican Air
Force. France sent several obsolete aircraft to help the
Republican forces. He published a novel influenced by
his Spanish war experience entitled ‘Man’s Hope’
(L’espoir in French) in 1938. During the Second World
War, he joined the French army and was captured in
1940. He escaped and joined the French Resistance.
Near the end of the war, he commanded a tank unit that
fought in Alsace-Lorraine. After the war Charles de
Gaulle appointed Malraux as Minister of Information
(1945-1946). He went on to publish several works on art,
including three volumes of The Psychology of Art (19471949) and three volumes of the Metamorphosis of the
Gods and Precarious Man and Literature. When de
Fig. 16: The reverse shows two statues of Egyptian cats and
his signature below with the titles of his most famous books: La
Condition Humaine, l’Espoir, Les Voix du Silence, and
Antimemoires. Image © Serge Pelletier
Conclusion
This completes our discussion of the French Mint’s
commemorative circulation coins before the introduction
of the Euro. However, the tradition of issuing
commemorative coins has continued. Now each country
is allowed to issue a special commemorative 2-euro coin
each year. This may be the subject of another article in
the (far) future as they form part of my French coin
collection.
| P a g e 11 Endnotes
1 Michel Prieur and Laurent Schmitt, Le Franc, Vol.9: les Monnaies
(Paris : les Éditions Chevau-légers, 2012): 496-502.
2 Richard E. Sullivan, “Charlemagne” Encyclopaedia Britannica
Online
Academic
Edition
<http://www.britannica.com/
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2013)
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(accessed 2 March 2013)
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Voyages: the History of Western Philosophy from 1492-1776
<http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/philosophers/descartes.ht
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22 February 2013)
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<http://www.louvre.fr/en/history-louvre> (accessed 18 February
2013)
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Leclerc, de Gaulles’ Greatest General (Havertown, PA:
Cassemate publishers, 2011): 73-322.
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8
References
Hibbert, Christopher. 1982. The French Revolution. London:
Penguin Books.
Moore, William Mortimer. 2011. Free France’s Lion, The life of
Philippe Leclerc, de Gaulle’s Greatest General. Havertown, PA:
Casemate Publishers.
Prieur, Michel and Laurent Schmitt. 2012. Le Franc, Vol 9: les
Monnaies. Paris: Éditions les Chevau-légers.
| P a g e 12 The Saint John, New Brunswick Coronation Medal Médaille de couronnement de Saint John (Nouveau­
Brunswick)
by Ron Cheek par Ron Cheek
In a previous article about the 1953
Coronation (The Canadian Numismatic
Journal, June 2013), I mention that the
only Canadian Elizabeth II Coronation
medal of which I was aware is the one I
received in school. It is the familiar
bronze piece from the Royal Canadian
Mint with the G.H. Paulin crowned bust
on the obverse and the Royal cypher,
“E II R” on the reverse. We often see it in
bargain boxes at coin shows, perhaps
because three million were struck.
However, there is at least one more
it turns out, the one shown here. I had
been completely unaware of it until I
found it on eBay (and promptly bought
it.) It was issued by the City of Saint
John, NB and, in addition to the
Coronation, it honoured the 170th
anniversary of the arrival of the first
United Empire Loyalists to the area that
became Saint John. It is a handsome
medal, 39.5 mm in diameter, struck in
aluminum and suspended from a ribbon.
The obverse bust is one of those private
industry designs approved by the Royal
Mint’s Coronation Medal Panel and then
used on many Coronation souvenirs.
The reverse has the coat of arms of the
City of Saint John, which fortuitously
includes the St. Edward’s Crown (a nice
coincidence.)
It is likely a private firm produced
this medal. An inquiry to our Royal
Canadian Mint some months ago has
gone unanswered. If any reader can
supply information in this regard, I would
be most grateful.
The British Royal Mint decided not to
issue an official souvenir Coronation
medal in 1953, instead striking some six
million “Coronation Crowns”, which were
available at their face value of five
Dans un article précédent sur le
couronnement de 1953 (Le Journal
canadien de numismatique, juin 2013),
je mentionne que la seule médaille
canadienne du couronnement de la
reine Elizabeth II dont j'étais conscient
est celle que j'ai reçue à l'école - la
pièce de bronze de la Monnaie royale
canadienne avec le buste couronné,
signé par GH Paulin à l'avers, et le
chiffre royal, « E II R » au revers. C’est
une pièce qu’on trouve souvent dans
des boîtes d’aubaines, peut-être parce
que 3 millions ont été frappés.
Cependant, une médaille inédite a
fait surface lorsque je naviguais sur
eBay. Il s’agit d’une médaille émise par
la Ville de Saint John (NouveauBrunswick). Je me suis empressé de
l’acheter. Elle souligne non seulement
le couronnement, mais aussi le 170e
anniversaire de l'arrivée des Loyalistes
dans la région. C’est une belle médaille
de 39,5 mm de diamètre, frappée en
aluminium et attachée à un ruban. Le
buste à l’avers est l'un des motifs de
l'industrie privés autorisés par le
Coronation Medal Panel de la Royal
Mint, puis utilisés sur de nombreux
souvenirs du couronnement. Le revers
montre les armoiries de la Ville de Saint
John, qui comprennent fortuitement la
couronne de saint Édouard (une belle
coïncidence).
Il est probable qu'une entreprise
privée a frappé cette médaille. Une
demande d’information à la Monnaie
royale canadienne, il y a quelques
mois, est restée sans réponse. Si un
lecteur peut fournir des informations à
cet égard, je vous en serai très
reconnaissant.
Plutôt que de frapper une médaille
souvenir
officielle
pour
le
couronnement en 1953, la Royal Mint a
émis 6 millions de « couronnes du
couronnement » (Coronation crowns),
vendues à leur valeur nominale de 5
Elizabeth II Coronation Medal issued by the City of Saint John, NB (Obverse) Image © Ron Cheek L’avers de la médaille de couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II émise par la Ville de Saint John (N‐B) Image © Ron Cheek | P a g e 13 shillings. The private medal industry was
left to supply souvenir medals. The
British and the Australians really went to
town on this and issued many generic
medals of various types, in different
sizes and metals (and in varying quality).
As well, many municipalities, sports
associations
and
even
private
businesses produced souvenir medals.
A recent search on eBay turned up 28
different ones – generic, British,
Australian, and even two from Africa
(Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia and
Cape Town, Union of South Africa). Only
the school children’s medal and another
Saint John medal showed up from
Canada. Clearly, we did not get on the
souvenir medal bandwagon.
Were there any other Canadian
1953 Coronations made? I would love to
hear from you if you know. You can
contact me at [email protected].
Elizabeth II Coronation Medal issued by the City of Saint John, NB (Reverse) Image © Ron Cheek shillings. La responsabilité de fournir
des médailles souvenirs revenait donc
aux
entreprises
privées.
Les
Britanniques et les Australiens ont émis
de nombreuses médailles de type
générique, de différentes tailles et
métaux (et de qualité variable). En
outre, de nombreuses municipalités, les
associations sportives et même les
entreprises privées ont frappé des
médailles souvenirs. Une recherche
récente sur eBay a révélé jusqu'à 28
différentes médailles génériques britanniques, australiennes, et même
deux de l’Afrique (Bulawayo, en
Rhodésie du Sud et Cape Town, Union
d'Afrique du Sud). En provenance du
Canada il n’y avait que la médaille pour
les écoliers et, maintenant, la médaille
de Saint John.
Y at-il d'autres médailles du
couronnement de 1953? Si vous en
connaissez, veuillez me contacter à
[email protected].
Le revers de la médaille de couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II émise par la Ville de Saint John (N‐B) Image © Ron Cheek | P a g e 14 In Your Pockets
Keep a sharp eye out for the latest circulation coin – the $2 “Wait for Me Daddy!” piece commemorating the 75th anniversary of the declaration of the Second World War. According to the Royal Canadian Mint, “The reverse image is inspired by the iconic photograph Wait for Me, Daddy, which was taken on October 1, 1940, in New Westminster by photographer Claude Dettloff. The men of the B.C. Regiment, the Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles, formed an impressive line as they marched down the street. In the centre of the image, a pale‐haired young boy, Warren ‘Whitey’ Bernard, has broken free of his mother's grasp to reach out to his uniformed father, who is marching off to war.” Dans vos poches
Gardez un œil pour la plus récente pièce de circulation – la 2 $ « Attends‐moi, papa » qui souligne le 75e anniversaire de la déclaration de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Selon la Monnaie royale Canadienne, « Le motif au revers de la pièce s'inspire de la célèbre photographie Attends‐moi, papa, prise le 1er octobre 1940, à New Westminster, par le photographe Claude Dettloff. Les hommes Reverse of the “Wait for Me, du British Columbia Regiment, et du Duke Daddy” commemorative $2 coin of Connaught's Own Rifles, forment une Revers de la pièce de 2 $ commémorative « Attends‐moi, ligne impressionnante et défilent dans la papa » rue. Au centre de l'image, un jeune garçon (Image © RCM|MRC) aux cheveux clairs, Warren « Whitey » Bernard, échappe à l'attention de sa mère et se précipite vers son père en uniforme, qui part à la guerre. Mintage is limited to 5 million pieces. For more info, visit the RCM’s website at www.mint.ca/waitformedaddy. Le tirage est limité à 5 millions d’exemplaires. Pour de plus amples renseignements, visitez le site Web de la MRC au www.monnaie.ca/attendsmoipapa. In the United States, the America the Beautiful ¼ dollar series continues with the unveiling of the latest design honouring Colorado’s Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve on Sept. 4 at a ceremony in Mosca, CO. Aux États‐Unis, la série de pièces de ¼ dollar « La belle Amérique » se poursuit avec le dévoilement de la plus récente pièce, lors d’une cérémonie à Mosca (Colorado) le 4 septembre dernier, qui rend hommage au Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. The reverse features inspirational images of desert dunes and high mountain peaks in the background with two youths enjoying themselves alongside a flowing Medano Creek in the foreground.
Reverse of the “Great Sand Dunes National Park” quarter dollar Revers de la pièce de ¼ dollar « Great Sand Dunes National Park » What’s New?
Le revers montre deux jeunes qui sur la rive du ruisseau Medano avec, en arrière‐
plan des dunes et des montagnes.
Quoi de neuf?
Bank of Canada Amends Description of new
10-dollar Polymer Note
La Banque du Canada modifie la description du
billet de 10 dollars en polymère
Without any fanfare, the Bank of Canada recently
updated its website to amend its description of the
back of the 10-dollar polymer note (BC B72a). Why
the change, you ask? Well, apparently the research
staff at the Bank didn’t do their homework as well
as they should have.
Sans tambour ni trompette, la Banque du Canada a
récemment mis à jour son site Web pour modifier sa
description du dos du billet de 10 dollars en polymère
(BC B72a). Pourquoi ce changement, vous demandezvous? Il semble que les recherchistes de la Banque
n’aient pas bien fait leurs devoirs.
| P a g e 15 The original description erroneously described the
composite image of the Rocky Mountains as having
included Mount Edith Cavell, Mount Marmot and
Mount Zengel. However, an observant professor of
architecture at Ryerson University, Hitesh Doshi,
and an expert mountaineer from Edmonton, Erick
Coulthard, noticed that something was amiss, so
they contacted the Bank of Canada last November.
Sadly, it took the Bank over eight months to make
the corrections.
The corrected description of the note is available
online at: http://www.bankofcanada.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/design_10.pdf. La description originale dit, à tort, que l'image
composite inclut les monts Edith Cavell, Marmot et
Zengel. Cependant, Hitesh Doshi, un professeur
d'architecture à l'Université Ryerson, et Erick
Coulthard, un alpiniste expert d'Edmonton, ont
remarqué que cette description était erronée et ont
contacté la Banque du Canada pour leur en faire part
en novembre 2013. Malheureusement, la Banque a
pris plus de huit mois pour faire les corrections.
La description corrigée du billet est disponible en ligne
au : http://www.banqueducanada.ca/wpcontent/uploads/2013/05/graphisme_10.pdf
Back of 10‐dollar polymer note | Dos du billet de 10 $ en polymère (Image © Bank of Canada | Banque du Canada) What’s Happening?
Qu’est-ce qui se passe?
There are many numismatic events during
November and December. Here are just a few:
Il y a plusieurs activités numismatiques en
novembre et décembre. Voici une brève liste :
1 NOV, Scarborough, ON
– Scarborough Coin Club 18th Annual Coin Show
– Cedarbrook Community Centre, 91 Eastbrook Drive
– Info: Dick Dunn, [email protected]
22 NOV, Moncton, NB – Geoffrey Bell Auctions,
– Main Floor, The Coin Cabinet, 1141 Main St.
– Info: Brian Bell, [email protected] 9 NOV, Windsor, ON
– Windsor Coin Club 64th Annual Fall Coin Show,
– Caboto Club, 2175 Parent Ave
– Info: Brett Irick, [email protected]
23 NOV, Moncton, NB – Coin Cabinet Coin and Collector Show, Crowne Plaza
– Hotel, 1005 Main St.
– Info: Brian Bell, [email protected]
15 NOV, Niagara Falls, ON – Niagara falls Coin Club Coin Show, Our Lady of Peace
– Hall, 6944 Stanley Ave
– Info: Todd Hume, 905-871-2451 7 DEC, Brampton, ON – Brampton Coin Show, Century Gardens Recreation
– Centre, 340 Vodden St. E.
– Info: B&W Coins & Tokens, 905-450-2870 | P a g e 16