A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

By Alex | November 9, 2018 |

It is always exciting to see new, innovative products coming out of the numismatic industry, and there is nothing quite like the test token set issued by the Royal Canadian Mint’s Research and Development lab. When you see this set it’s no surprise that the Royal Canadian Mint is a market leader in security. Looking to be at the forefront of new minting technologies this latest collection showcases some never before seen minting techniques which are guaranteed to impress both seasoned and budding collectors alike.

Canada Security Test Token Set 300x208 - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

So what exactly is a ‘test token’ I hear you ask? A test token is a prototype of next generation currency, and is created purely to test new technologies and minting techniques before giving the green light to produce future coins with the technology. Since the tokens are test pieces their designs and technologies will not necessarily be replicated in future currency, perhaps only some of the techniques or designs will be taken forward,so the test pieces are one of a kind.

Chief Technology Officer at the Royal Canadian Mint, Dr Xianyao Li, says “the products in our R&D Lab Collection are tried,tested and true examples of forward-thinking technology that could re-define the future of domestic and foreign coins.”

Now we’re suitably intrigued about the new technologies featured in the set, let’s take a closer look at the tokens…

Pie-Chart

Canada Security Test Token Set Piechart Features 2 - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

At first glance this perhaps looks to be the most unassuming token of the set, but looks can be deceiving as this token is an example of the advances currently being made in coin production to prevent counterfeiting. If you inspect the surface of the coin closely you will notice it resembles a pie-chart, with the surface subtly split up in to segments which are only just distinguishable. The slices are differentiated by the orientation and size of micro text which varies between segments. Micro text is one of the advancements in minting technology which has emerged in the last few years with the aim of preventing counterfeit coins, as the tiny text is difficult to replicate. Not only is the text extremely difficult to reproduce, it is also virtually indiscernible to the naked eye!

Caribou and Moose

  • Canada Security Test Token Set Caribou Features - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint
  • Canada Security Test Token Set Moose Features - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

The Caribou and the Moose instantly spring to mind when contemplating iconic Canadian imagery, so it would seem only natural they make an appearance in this set. Each token is crafted from multi-ply plated steel and includes both raised and incused maple leaf designs, instantly creating a noticeably three-dimensional textured surface. The depictions of the creatures on each coin have micro text hidden in their fur as an added security feature, and the maple leaf above the shoulder of each creature is also composed of micro text.

Leaf

  • Canada Security Test Token Set Leaf1 Features - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint
  • Canada Security Test Token Set Leaf2 Features - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

The maple leaf is synonymous with Canada and is instantly recognisable as one of its national symbols dating back to the 18th century. Considering this it is unsurprising then that The Royal Canadian Mint also uses this iconic leaf as its logo, creating a strong identity link between country and coinage. Two pieces in the set celebrate the maple leaf with both sides of the tokens featuring raised and incused leaves in a circular pattern with the Royal Canadian Mint’s logo at the centre. The combination of raised and stamped elements create a unique texture on the token which adds an extra layer of security because forgers will struggle to perfectly mimic it in counterfeits.

Tri-metal

  • Canada Security Test Token Set Trimetal Features1 - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint
  • Canada Security Test Token Set Trimetal Features2 - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint

The clue is in the title with this one, as it has been produced from a Canadian patented tri-metal compound, consisting of a carefully balanced combination of multi-ply plated steel, brass plated steel, nickel plated steel and copper plated steel. Complex multi-metal compound technology is a security feature to prevent counterfeiting as the exact compound composition is patented and unknown so cannot be easily recreated in a replica.

Own a piece of history in the making

What makes this test token set truly remarkable is the fact that pieces included in the set are the real trial pieces which have been used in calibration and laboratory testing, so each one has been tried and tested making the collection truly unique – no two will be the same!

If you’re interested…

You can now own a piece of numismatic history in the making as we have secured 149 of these unique sets from the Royal Canadian Mint. Be ahead of the curve and add this sneak peek at the next generation of coinage to your collection today!

Click here to order this fantastic set >>>

Canada Security Test Token Set Packaging2 - A sneak peek at next generation coinage courtesy of The Royal Canadian Mint
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