Description
This is a complete set of Proof-like quality Canadian coins, presented in a mahogany finish case. All 6 coin denominations issued in 1960 are included (Penny, Nickel, Dime, Quarter, Half Dollar and the Silver Dollar). Proof-like coins are the highest quality of coin produced for collectors by the Royal Canadian Mint in this year. By using specially prepared dies, additional striking pressure and slow moving coining presses, the Mint was able to produce virtually flawless coins with a mirror-like finish.
One of the highlights of this collection is the 1960 Voyageur silver dollar. The design on the dollar coin is the same design as was on Canadas first dollar coin issued in 1935. It features an Indian and a voyageur (a travelling agent for a fur company), paddling a canoe past a small island with two wind swept trees. The vertical lines in the background represent the northern lights.
The half dollar is also a beautiful coin, featuring an intricate modified coat-of-arms design introduced in 1959. This old silver half dollar is significantly larger than the current 50 cent coins, and extremely appealing to most collectors. The fronts of the penny, nickel, dime and quarter are the familiar designs still used today, but the backs of all the coins bear the original young portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.
The silver dollar, half dollar, quarter and dime are all struck in .800 fine silver. Many silver coins were melted down for their bullion value from the late 1960s to the early 1980s when silver approached $50 per ounce, so the number of coins available for collectors today is significantly reduced.
Unlike later years where the mintages of proof-like sets sometimes exceeded one million, the total mintage of proof-like sets in 1960 was only 64,097.
