DID YOU KNOW?

The sapphire has long been regarded as a symbol of the heavens due to its deep blue colour. It is also associated with royalty, and it is both the traditional and modern gift for celebrating a 45^th wedding anniversary. It’s also September’s birthstone.

Depicted on the obverse of these four coins, the late Queen Elizabeth II was the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee or 65 years of reign, and several famous sapphire pieces were part of her priceless jewellery collection. To mark the occasion in 2017, which was also the 150^th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, then-Governor General David Johnston presented a special gift from Canada: a diamond and blue sapphire brooch. A diamond and sapphire set given to her by her father, King George VI, as a wedding gift in 1947 were also among her favourite jewels.

The leaves on these coins are from the sugar maple, Acer saccharum. True to its name, the sugar maple tree’s sap has the highest concentration of sugar, and that’s why this Canadian maple is prized by maple syrup producers. A sugar maple leaf also inspired the design for the first GML bullion coin issued in 1979; created by former RCM Master Engraver Walter Ott (1920-2020), that lone maple leaf has become the signature design for all of Canada’s Maple Leaf bullion coins and special issues.