The Art of Crafting Pure Gold Coins: Insights from our Assay & Engraving Teams

Aug 11, 2024
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3 minute read

Since our first day of operations on January 2, 1908, we have housed an assay department onsite at our facility in Ottawa, ON. Tucked within the walls of our late-gothic style building, and only accessible to a limited number of employees, our assay laboratory is where we analyze precious metals and the various levels of impurity elements within them.

The team takes great pride in their work and role in upholding the Mint’s long-standing reputation of producing some of the world’s purest gold products. “Our assay laboratory includes a skilled team of chemists, assayers and technicians who are involved throughout the refining process,” says our Chief Assayer, Charles Daoust.

Refined gold samples undergoing fire assay.

Charles Daoust

“From raw deposits received from mines or scrap material from recyclers to batch samples from our refinery, we rely on advanced assay technologies and trusted methods to ensure the best quality product.”

Charles Daoust

From investment gold bars and coins to almost every pure gold collector coin we produce, our assay team is among the first working behind-the-scenes to ensure these products and more are among the purest available worldwide—99.99% or 99.999% pure gold.

A prime example of assay certified gold is our collection of premium bullion coins in special packaging. Designed for collectors and investors alike, each investment-grade coin has been crafted in 24-karat (99.99% pure) gold with a minimum guaranteed weight of 1/10 of an ounce. Each coin was specially handled during the manufacturing process and includes an assay certificate, signed by our Chief Assayer, that certifies the coin’s authenticity and gold purity.

Where artistry meets purity

Analysis does not stop here. Our team of engravers are continually manipulating designs to ensure they can be easily transferred onto material like gold. Alex Tirabasso, the engraver who worked on the polar bear design for the 1/10 oz. 99.99% Pure Gold Coin: The Majestic Polar Bears (Premium Bullion) coin explains that in addition to creating an attractive aesthetic, it’s critical to meet the strict technical specifications. If not, he adds, that the design will not strike well onto a coin.

Alex Tirabasso

“I think of the design as form and function. The form, or 3D sculpting, should realistically and elegantly depict the polar bears in their northern home, but should also function for manufacturing. For me, these two concepts are always linked. We want to achieve that flawless MS-70 standard .”

Alex Tirabasso

The design selected for this coin is based on original artwork by wildlife artist W. Allan Hancock. It depicts the tender scene of a polar bear (Ursus maritimus) mother and her almost independent cub. The pair, nuzzling in their Arctic habitat, are set against a field of radial lines that create a dramatic sunburst finish.

Alex, who was instrumental in developing the dynamic sunburst finish that first appeared in 2022, says that one of the challenges he experienced with this particular coin was the fur on the bears. “Hancock’s original design suggests that the bears’ fur is dry and not wet, which would be easier to sculpt. As the engraver, I needed to sculpt it in a way to convey this.”

To anyone adding this piece to their collection or receiving it as a gift, we hope they will cherish its purity –Both the purity behind its endearing design and the precious metal from which its crafted.