The Royal Canadian Mint's First Collector Coin of 2007 Honours Canadian Native Hero Joseph Brant

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BURLINGTON, Jan. 18 /CNW Telbec/ - The Royal Canadian Mint continued its

tradition of issuing its Commemorative Silver Dollar as the first collector

coin of the year. Honouring Canadian native hero Thayendanegea (Joseph Brant),

the 2007 Silver dollar coin was officially unveiled today at the Joseph Brant

Museum in Burlington, Ontario. Burlington is the site of the 3,450 acres

granted to Thayendanegea by King George III for his dutiful service to the

Crown during the Seven Years War and the American War of Independence.

"Thayendanegea stands out as an enduring symbol of bravery and leadership

to all Canadians," said John Moore, Acting Vice-President of Sales and

Marketing at the Royal Canadian Mint. "We are delighted that his proud effigy

graces the newest of our highly collected commemorative silver dollars," he

added.

This limited edition coin is struck in sterling silver and was adapted

from an original artwork by Laurie McGaw. It features the stately portrait of

Joseph Brant wearing a traditional native headdress and a gorget bearing the

British Royal Coat of Arms. With a limited mintage of 65,000 it is also

available with a proof finish, with a brilliant uncirculated finish and with

selected gold plating as part of the Proof Set.

Born in Ohio in 1742, Thayendanegea received an English education and was

conferred the Christian name Joseph Brant. As a war chief of the Six Nations

and a British military Captain who first fought alongside the British as a

teenager, Brant earned the respect of both sides. As a man of vision, he

quickly understood that his people faced irreversible changes and took action

to protect their interests. In 1783, following the American War of

Independence, Brant negotiated land for the Six Nations people in Ontario's

Grand River Valley and built a settlement where native sovereignty and British

commercial practices and public institutions were uniquely merged. Through his

leadership, Brant shaped much of native Canada, an achievement to which the

town which bears his name (Brantford, Ontario) pays permanent tribute.

The Joseph Brant Museum was built to commemorate Joseph Brant and his

original homestead. At the urging of the Hon. T.B. McQueston, Minister of

Highways in Ontario, and with the help of the Imperial Order of the Daughters

of the Empire, Thayendenegea Chapter, construction began in 1937, culminating

in the official opening of the Museum the public on May 23, 1942.

Over the years, the Museum has added a number of important acquisitions

to its collection, including personal artefacts owned and used by Joseph Brant

and the Eileen Collard Collection of Historic Costume and Textiles. Committed

to the preservation of Burlington's past and as a touch point for our national

history, the Joseph Brant Museum is a place for exploring a wealth of cultural

traditions, issues and ideas which inspire within and beyond our borders. For

more information on the Museum's programming, visit

www.museumsofburlington.com

The 2007 Commemorative silver dollar is locally available for sale at the

Joseph Brant Museum, as well as from the following area dealers: A & J

Enterprises (Stoney Creek); Canadian Coin & Currency (Richmond Hill); Arcade

Coins and The Coin Market (Toronto); House of Stamps (Mississauga); and select

Canada Post outlets.

All of the Mint's products are available directly from the Mint at

1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the web site at

www.mint.ca. Coins are also available through the Royal Canadian Mint's global

network of dealers and distributors.

 

The Royal Canadian Mint, an ISO 9001-2000 certified company, is the Crown

Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's

circulation coins. The Royal Canadian Mint is recognized as one of the largest

and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized,

high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.

For more information on the Royal Canadian Mint, its products and services,

visit www.mint.ca.

 

Images and product details of the RCM's newest collection are available

by visiting ftp://communications:RCM2007@ftp.mint.ca.