The Royal Canadian Mint's Second World War: Battlefront series ends with a special tribute to all the Canadians and Newfoundlanders who fought on the battlefronts of the world, and to those who supported their efforts from the homefront. Victory requires sacrifices of many kinds, and that's what this intricately engraved design represents. The bold "V" and the flaming torch from the 1943-45 Victory Nickel are echoes of our past and express a desire to never forget. Completing the maple leaf-shaped arrangement are the geometric forms that represent the different backgrounds (cultural, ethnic, linguistic) of the men and women who served, as well as their contributions to victory 75 years ago.

A stunning coin design that commemorates Victory in Europe. An ideal gift for a military historian. Order today.

COIN HIGHLIGHTS

• COMPLETE THE SERIES: The Royal Canadian Mint's multi-year Battlefront: Second World War series ends with this tenth coin, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe (1945).
• CUTTING-EDGE ENGRAVING: From bold lines to low relief, the Royal Canadian Mint combined cutting-edge engraving techniques to create a luminous design that is deeply meaningful. Take the coin and tilt it in your hand to see how the engraving plays with light – the effect is striking!
• EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN: The RCM put a new spin on a classic coin from that era: the 1943-45 Victory nickel designed by Thomas Shingles. Modern elements reflect our current view of the war, with various shapes that represent different people and perspectives. And it all comes together to form the shape of a maple leaf.
• PACKAGING COMPLETES THE TIMELINE: This coin's packaging matches all other coins in the series. Collect each coin in the series and place the custom beauty boxes spine to spine—they form a complete timeline of Canada's major military engagements in the Second World War.
• REMEMBERING THE PAST: From its design to its composition, the now-iconic 1943-45 Victory Nickel's design is a snapshot of the Royal Canadian Mint during the war years. It is the Royal Canadian Mint's way of paying tribute to those who served and those who supported their efforts.
• A PRESENT-DAY TIME CAPSULE: Pass the torch to the next generation and share this snapshot of remembrance in 2020. The coin design is the ultimate showcase of today's cutting-edge engraving techniques.
• EFFIGY OF KING GEORGE VI: All Second World War: Battlefront coins feature the effigy of King George VI by T.H. Paget.

• 1 OZ. PURE SILVER: This coin is crafted from one ounce of 99.99% pure silver!
• LIMITED WORLDWIDE MINTAGE: Only 7,500 coins will be made available worldwide.

DESIGN

Set against a sunburst, the reverse design by Canadian artist Jamie Desrochers offers a modern take on the 1943-45 Victory Nickel designed by Thomas Shingles. The original "V" for Victory and the torch symbol of sacrifice have been updated to represent the new generations who are carrying the torch of remembrance on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War ("1945" and "2020"). The two maple leaves from the wartime coin play a larger role in this design, where a large maple leaf in the background subtly unifies the maple leaf-shaped arrangement of geometric shapes. The forms represent different peoples, races, cultures and the varied backgrounds of the men and women who contributed to the Allied victory in 1945. The obverse features the effigy of King George VI by T.H. Paget and a Victory privy mark.

"This coin gives you the best our engraving techniques have to offer today. With its symbolic torch, the Victory Nickel is one of our most recognizable commemorative circulation coins. I decided to take its statement literally, and create a legacy of remembrance that can be passed on to the next generation. My hope is that future generations will pick up the torch that was handed down by Thomas Shingles and entrusted to me for this brief moment, and that they will someday make it their own." Jamie Desrochers: Artist

DID YOU KNOW?

• On May 5, 1945, General Foulkes of I Canadian Corps accepted the formal surrender of German troops in Wagenigen, Netherlands, while Lieutenant-General Guy Simonds of II Canadian Corps accepted the surrender at Bad Zwischenahn, in northern Germany. Two days later, on May 7, the formal military surrender agreement was signed in Rheims, France, and the war in Europe was over.
• On V-E Day (May 8, 1945), Canada had one of the largest navies, the fourth largest air force and an army with six divisions. Out of a population of 11 million people, more than a million Canadians and Newfoundlanders donned a military uniform between 1939 and 1945.
• Nickel was among the first metals allocated to the Allied war effort – that's why the 1943 Victory nickel, which introduced the "V for Victory" design that inspired this coin, was made from a copper-zinc alloy known as tombac. A key component of stainless steel, nickel was essential for manufacturing armour plates, vehicles, weapons, ammunition, and even components of the Bailey bridges built by Royal Canadian Engineers in 1944 and 1945. It's just one example of how efforts on the home front supported Canada's efforts on the battlefront, from beginning to end.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN MINT

The Royal Canadian Mint is known as one of the most reputable mints in the world. The Ottawa Branch of the Royal Mint opened in 1908 and was renamed The Royal Canadian Mint in 1931 when control was transferred to the Canadian government. The Royal Canadian Mint is renowned for producing some of the highest quality and purity of gold and silver bullion coins and bars in the world. Their high standards for excellence and quality allowed them to be the first refinery to manufacture 9999 fine gold bullion coins in 1982, as well as the first to reach 99999 fine gold purity in 1999.