871) 90th Anniversary of the Armistice of 1918: A Commemorative Circulation 25 Cents coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa in 2008:
When I was writing the previous post on a $10 Silver Coin issued by Solomon Islands depicting a field of red poppies (representing the Flanders Poppy), which is a symbol of remembrance for the fallen soldiers in World War I and all wars, I was mulling over the idea that having a coin depicting a poppy would be a nice acquisition for my coin collection.
On the next evening after I had put up this post, we visited "Kanchanji" (Kanchan Malhotra) as I had procured a Miniature/Souvenir Sheet of round stamps issued for the first time by India Post which contained quotations and images of Mahatma Gandhi's life values for her. She has been constantly contributing coins, post cards and stamps for my collection, some of which I have written on, on this blog.
When I handed her the Miniature Sheet, I was in for a great surprise, when she handed me this circulation coin issued by the Canadian Mint, Ottawa. There it was a vivid red poppy right in the centre of the Reverse face of the coin. I could not stop wondering as to how "everything in the world is connected" and the Universe tries to fulfil even our small desires in its own unique way. Thank you, Kanchanji.
About the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice:
The year 2018, marks the 100th Anniversary of the armistice, which brought an end to World War I.
With two minutes of silence each November 11th, Canadians commemorate four years that changed the course of history - 1914-1918. It is at the exact moment of Armistice when the first modern war suddenly came to an end in 1918 (one hundred years ago) that everyone reflects upon that conflict of an unprecedented scale and all those who served in the great war - World War I.
Why Red Poppies are symbolic of remembrance for those fallen in combat?
Red Poppy flowers were first mentioned in a poem titled "In Flanders Fields" by Dr. John McCrae who was the Brigade doctor and a friend of a young Canadian artillery officer Lt. Alexis Helmer, who was killed on 02.05.1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres by an exploding German artillery shell near him in the gun positions where he was stationed. McCrae was so moved by the death of the young artillery officer and his comrades, that he penned the following poem in deep sorrow and memory of his friend:
In Flanders Fields (the poem is seemingly written by the fallen soldiers):
"In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies graw
in Flanders fields".
From Dr. McCrae's poem, the Flanders Poppy has now come to symbolise the remembrance of fallen soldiers the world over. The vivid-red poppies which grew in the war-torn fields thus became a symbol of those soldiers who fell, but were never forgotten and took hold in the official practices of remembrance too.
The 90th Anniversary of the Armistice circulation coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa in 2008:
When I was writing the previous post on a $10 Silver Coin issued by Solomon Islands depicting a field of red poppies (representing the Flanders Poppy), which is a symbol of remembrance for the fallen soldiers in World War I and all wars, I was mulling over the idea that having a coin depicting a poppy would be a nice acquisition for my coin collection.
On the next evening after I had put up this post, we visited "Kanchanji" (Kanchan Malhotra) as I had procured a Miniature/Souvenir Sheet of round stamps issued for the first time by India Post which contained quotations and images of Mahatma Gandhi's life values for her. She has been constantly contributing coins, post cards and stamps for my collection, some of which I have written on, on this blog.
When I handed her the Miniature Sheet, I was in for a great surprise, when she handed me this circulation coin issued by the Canadian Mint, Ottawa. There it was a vivid red poppy right in the centre of the Reverse face of the coin. I could not stop wondering as to how "everything in the world is connected" and the Universe tries to fulfil even our small desires in its own unique way. Thank you, Kanchanji.
About the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice:
The year 2018, marks the 100th Anniversary of the armistice, which brought an end to World War I.
With two minutes of silence each November 11th, Canadians commemorate four years that changed the course of history - 1914-1918. It is at the exact moment of Armistice when the first modern war suddenly came to an end in 1918 (one hundred years ago) that everyone reflects upon that conflict of an unprecedented scale and all those who served in the great war - World War I.
Why Red Poppies are symbolic of remembrance for those fallen in combat?
Red Poppy flowers were first mentioned in a poem titled "In Flanders Fields" by Dr. John McCrae who was the Brigade doctor and a friend of a young Canadian artillery officer Lt. Alexis Helmer, who was killed on 02.05.1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres by an exploding German artillery shell near him in the gun positions where he was stationed. McCrae was so moved by the death of the young artillery officer and his comrades, that he penned the following poem in deep sorrow and memory of his friend:
In Flanders Fields (the poem is seemingly written by the fallen soldiers):
"In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high,
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies graw
in Flanders fields".
From Dr. McCrae's poem, the Flanders Poppy has now come to symbolise the remembrance of fallen soldiers the world over. The vivid-red poppies which grew in the war-torn fields thus became a symbol of those soldiers who fell, but were never forgotten and took hold in the official practices of remembrance too.
The 90th Anniversary of the Armistice circulation coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa in 2008:
Below the poppy on a scroll is the legend "REMEMBER SOUVENIR". On the upper periphery is the inscription "1918.ARMISTICE.2008".
The mint mark of the Ottawa Mint is below the Queen's effigy.
The specifications of this coin are:
Coin Type: Circulating Commemorative Coin - 90th Anniversary of the end of World War I; Year of issue: 2008; Denomination: 25 cents or quarter; Metal Composition: Nickel plated steel (94%Steel, 3.8% Copper, 2.2% Nickel); Weight: 4.4 grams; Diameter/Size: 23.88 mm; Thickness: 1.58 mm; Shape: Round; Edge: Reeded; Orientation: Medal Alignment; Mint: Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa Mint; Mintage: 11,300,000 pieces; Designers: Reverse: Cosme Saffoti, Stan Witten, Obverse: Susana Blunt, Susan Taylor.
For other interesting posts on the Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:
For other interesting posts on the Coins and Banknotes of Canada, please visit the following links:
16) Viola Desmond, Civil Rights Activist and the first Canadian woman to feature on a circulation Banknote: A $10 Polymer Banknote issued bt the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018: Canada's first vertically oriented Banknote issuedby the Bank of Canada on 19.11.2018
17) 90th Anniversary of the Armistice of 1918: A Commemorative Circulation 25 Cents coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa in 2008
17) 90th Anniversary of the Armistice of 1918: A Commemorative Circulation 25 Cents coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa in 2008
Maggie Ksing has commented:
ReplyDelete"Congratulations Rajeev on your new acquisition !!"
Thanks, Maggie.
Delete