1912 $10 Gold Bank of Canada Hoard – ANACS MS63

Minted In 1912, the same year that the famed Titanic sank roughly 900 kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland

The Bank of Canada hoard is the most notable treasure hoard and precious cache of gold coins discovered in recent years

The gold coins in this hoard are phenomenal rarities and hold the unique distinction of being Canada’s first-ever gold coins. Their history and provenance demands the attention of all serious gold coin collectors.

Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint said, “We are delighted that these pieces of our history are back in the spotlight after nearly a century long absence, the Mint is delighted to share these important artifacts with collectors worldwide”.

Canada did not produce any gold coins until 1912, the first gold coins were a $5 and $10 coin minted from a quarter ounce and half ounce of gold.  The design bears the image of King George V on the obverse and a shield bearing the Arms of the Dominion of Canada on the reverse. Almost all of the gold used to manufacture them came from the nearby Klondike River Valley in the Yukon Territory, the site of one of the largest and most frenzied gold rushes in history.

In 1914, just two years after the coins were introduced, the First World War began. The short-lived, experimental Canadian gold coin program was closed in 1915 in favor of producing lifeless gold bars, leaving behind only a small supply of gold coins for future generations of collectors to get their hands on!

As Canada engaged in the war sending its troops to fight with the Allies on the battlefields of Europe, the government of Canada took a tight hold of its gold reserves. Most of the gold coins produced for circulation would never reach the hands of Canadians. Instead, they were entrusted to the secure vaults of Canadian banks, the Department of Finance and eventually, the Bank of Canada; where the coins remained undisturbed in cloth bags for more than 75 years prior to the discovery and release of this important and exceptional hoard.

De facto Coat of Arms adopted in 1868

The  coins are steeped in history. the design on the reverse of the coins depicts the De facto Coat of Arms adopted in 1868; this was the first symbol of Canada to appear on a coin. Canada’s official Coat of Arms decreed by King George was not adopted until much later in 1921.

Specifications

• Date 1912
• Denomination $10
• Composition: Gold
• Fineness 0.900
• Weight 0.4387 oz.
• Original Mintage 74,759
• Grade: MS63
• Service ANACS
• Population UNDER 100