797) 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) commemorated with the issue of a Coloured Silver $20 Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint:
We had recently visited the Lonar Crater Lake in Maharashtra, India which was caused by a meteor strike some 50,000 odd years ago (which is only the second one of two meteor strikes in India).
We did pick up a few Meteorite stones/fragments, but did not bring them with us leaving them in the places where we found them. Little did I realise that pieces of meteorites similar to the one that we left behind, would one day figure on silver coins issued in commemoration of 150 years of the Royal astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). The links to my posts on this blog on our visit to the Lonar Crater/lake are given below:
The Royal Canadian Mint has really outdid itself in creating a truly "out-of-this-world collector coin by affixing a genuine meteorite fragment/piece/shard to a limited edition mintage of exclusive coloured silver coins, which commemorated the 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) was founded in 1869, and ever since has nurtured the passion of astronomers while fostering the curiosity of anyone who has looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond.
It is a fitting tribute that 150 years of research, education and discovery by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) astronomers and its scientific achievements be commemorated by this scintillating coin which has innovatingly featured a shard of a real meteorite.
The Reverse of the $20 Silver (coloured) coin showcasing a meteor approaching earth in the backdrop of deep space, the Moon, the Eagle Nebula and the Andromeda Galaxy
The Reverse of the Silver $ 20 coin features a deep space vista enhanced by engraved textural details and full colour.
Designed by Alexandra Lefort, the Reverse design is a re-interpretation of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's sesquicentennial logo in a scientifically accurate, photo-realism art style.
The original logo features stars that allude to Canadian contributions to stellar spectroscopy and photometry and a globular cluster that honours the scientific work of Helen Sawyer Hogg and Canada's cooperative partnerships; both are colourfully re-imagined on the coin as the prominent design elements which include the Eagle Nebula and its pillars of interstellar gas and dust, which are known as the "Pillars of Creation", where the formation of new stars is a symbolic representation of the RASC's beginnings and, by extension, its 150th anniversary.
Also featured on the coin design are the Moon (which is a fuxture in RASC's public outreach efforts and particularly chosen to represent the Lunar Calendars of the First Nations peoples and the navigational astronomy that guided many European explorers during Canada's early history).
Beneath the Moon is featured the Andromeda Galaxy (nearest major galaxy to our own - which is a symbolic ode to Canadian contributions to cosmology).
Blazing as it burns through the Earth's upper atmosphere, the depiction of a meteor is topped by a geuine iron meteorite fragment sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite fields, where the impact craters date back to an estimated 4,500 years. Both the meteorite and the view of the Manicouagan crater in Quebec are an acknowledgement to the RASC's long-standing interest in the study of planet geology, meteor dynamics and impact cratering and to the excellence of Canadian research in these fields.
The fascinating space-weather phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis adds a "True North" flourish that this design recaptures 150 years of exploring the cosmos and its varied phenomena.
Also included on this coin's upper periphery is the country name "CANADA" and the years of RASC's milestone commemoration "1868 - 2018". On the lower periphery is the coin denomination "20 DOLLARS".
About the Meteorite fragment:
The meteorite was sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina, where a large fragment was documented in 1576. A polycrystalline coarse octahedrite, the IA iron meteorite was recovered from one of the 26 impact craters formed roughly 4,500 years ago, when a shower of metallic meteorites dispersed fragments across an area of about 320.0 square kilometres. The typical composition of a Campo del Cielo meteorite is 92.7% iron, 6.15% nickel, 0.42% cobalt, 0.37% carbon and 0.28% phosphorus.
A detailed view of the genuine meteorite fragment affixed to the Silver $20 coin reverse
The Obverse of the Silver $20 (coloured) coin features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right
The peripheral inscriptions are "ELIZABETH II. D.C. REGINA" (meaning "Elizabeth II. By the Grace of God Queen").
A side-view of the coin showing its serrated edges among other features
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: $20; Diameter/Size: 38.0 mm; Weight: 31.39 grams or 1.0 Oz; Metal Composition: .9999 Pure Silver (Ag); Edge: Serrated; Coin Quality: Proof, with applied colour; Designers: Alexandra Lefort (Reverse); Susanna Blunt (Obverse); Year of issue: 2018; Mint: Royal Canadian Mint; Mintage: 5,500 pieces; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): serialised.
The Coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint branded maroon clamshell, with a black beauty box and accompanied with a serialised Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
For other interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:
13) "True North": Canadian Coasts Square 3-Coin Series: The second $3 Silver-Gold plated Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in August 2018
14) 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) commemorated with the issue of a Coloured Silver $20 Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint
We did pick up a few Meteorite stones/fragments, but did not bring them with us leaving them in the places where we found them. Little did I realise that pieces of meteorites similar to the one that we left behind, would one day figure on silver coins issued in commemoration of 150 years of the Royal astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). The links to my posts on this blog on our visit to the Lonar Crater/lake are given below:
The Royal Canadian Mint has really outdid itself in creating a truly "out-of-this-world collector coin by affixing a genuine meteorite fragment/piece/shard to a limited edition mintage of exclusive coloured silver coins, which commemorated the 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC).
The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) was founded in 1869, and ever since has nurtured the passion of astronomers while fostering the curiosity of anyone who has looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond.
It is a fitting tribute that 150 years of research, education and discovery by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) astronomers and its scientific achievements be commemorated by this scintillating coin which has innovatingly featured a shard of a real meteorite.
The Reverse of the Silver $ 20 coin features a deep space vista enhanced by engraved textural details and full colour.
Designed by Alexandra Lefort, the Reverse design is a re-interpretation of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada's sesquicentennial logo in a scientifically accurate, photo-realism art style.
The original logo features stars that allude to Canadian contributions to stellar spectroscopy and photometry and a globular cluster that honours the scientific work of Helen Sawyer Hogg and Canada's cooperative partnerships; both are colourfully re-imagined on the coin as the prominent design elements which include the Eagle Nebula and its pillars of interstellar gas and dust, which are known as the "Pillars of Creation", where the formation of new stars is a symbolic representation of the RASC's beginnings and, by extension, its 150th anniversary.
Also featured on the coin design are the Moon (which is a fuxture in RASC's public outreach efforts and particularly chosen to represent the Lunar Calendars of the First Nations peoples and the navigational astronomy that guided many European explorers during Canada's early history).
Beneath the Moon is featured the Andromeda Galaxy (nearest major galaxy to our own - which is a symbolic ode to Canadian contributions to cosmology).
Blazing as it burns through the Earth's upper atmosphere, the depiction of a meteor is topped by a geuine iron meteorite fragment sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite fields, where the impact craters date back to an estimated 4,500 years. Both the meteorite and the view of the Manicouagan crater in Quebec are an acknowledgement to the RASC's long-standing interest in the study of planet geology, meteor dynamics and impact cratering and to the excellence of Canadian research in these fields.
The fascinating space-weather phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis adds a "True North" flourish that this design recaptures 150 years of exploring the cosmos and its varied phenomena.
Also included on this coin's upper periphery is the country name "CANADA" and the years of RASC's milestone commemoration "1868 - 2018". On the lower periphery is the coin denomination "20 DOLLARS".
About the Meteorite fragment:
The meteorite was sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina, where a large fragment was documented in 1576. A polycrystalline coarse octahedrite, the IA iron meteorite was recovered from one of the 26 impact craters formed roughly 4,500 years ago, when a shower of metallic meteorites dispersed fragments across an area of about 320.0 square kilometres. The typical composition of a Campo del Cielo meteorite is 92.7% iron, 6.15% nickel, 0.42% cobalt, 0.37% carbon and 0.28% phosphorus.
The peripheral inscriptions are "ELIZABETH II. D.C. REGINA" (meaning "Elizabeth II. By the Grace of God Queen").
The specifications of this coin are:
Denomination: $20; Diameter/Size: 38.0 mm; Weight: 31.39 grams or 1.0 Oz; Metal Composition: .9999 Pure Silver (Ag); Edge: Serrated; Coin Quality: Proof, with applied colour; Designers: Alexandra Lefort (Reverse); Susanna Blunt (Obverse); Year of issue: 2018; Mint: Royal Canadian Mint; Mintage: 5,500 pieces; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): serialised.
For other interesting posts on Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:
13) "True North": Canadian Coasts Square 3-Coin Series: The second $3 Silver-Gold plated Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in August 2018
14) 150th Anniversary of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) commemorated with the issue of a Coloured Silver $20 Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint
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