1/4 oz. Pure Silver Coin - Wait for Me, Daddy (2014)

It is perhaps the most famous photograph taken in Canada during the Second World War: a five-year-old boy breaks away from his mother's grasp to run after his father as he marches off to war. Taken in New Westminster, B.C. in the fall of 1940, "Wait for Me, Daddy" continues to resonate as a snapshot of the war's impact on Canadians and the personal sacrifices they made.

Special features:

• Coin is 99.99% pure silver struck on matte proof with glass bead finish to ensure all engraving details are clearly captured.
• A thoughtful gift and a remarkable addition to any military or history-themed collection.
• This striking coin commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Second World War, a conflict that had an immediate and long-lasting impact on Canadians.
• GST/HST exempt with a limited worldwide mintage of only 15,000.

Design:
Your coin's design is a reproduction of the iconic photograph known as "Wait for Me, Daddy," which was taken on October 1, 1940, in New Westminster, B.C. by photographer Claude Dettloff. The men of the B.C. Regiment, the Duke of Connaught's Own Rifles, form an impressive line as they march down the street. But the focus of the image is on the real and touching scene of one family that is saying goodbye. In the centre of the image field, a pale-haired young boy has broken free of his mother's grasp (at left) to reach out to his uniformed father (at right), who is marching off to war. The father has turned to smile at his son; shifting his rifle to the other hand, he reaches out to his son one last time before they are to be separated by war.

Did you know…
•  With many men enlisting for service, Canada's wartime economy faced a shortage of workers. In their place, over one million women –including married women and mothers – joined the wartime labour force.
•  Children also made their own contributions to the war effort by giving money to Victory Loan campaigns, searching for recyclable materials or taking on more household responsibilities.

As Canadians rolled up their patriotic sleeves, the new wartime reality came with its share of challenges. The displacement of enlisted men to training centres across Canada – and their eventual deployment overseas – disrupted family life between 1939 and 1945, while the demands of the war placed an additional burden on those who remained on the homefront.

Women worked tirelessly to maintain farms, homes and families in the absence of their loved ones. But they were also called upon to contribute to the war effort in unprecedented ways; faced with an increased industrial demand and a shortage of workers, the Canadian government encouraged women to join the workforce and fill positions that were typically male-dominated. This break from the era's rigidly perceived gender roles may have been met with some reluctance, but it ultimately proved to be a crucial contribution to Canada's war effort – one that forever changed Canadian society.

Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell case.

Order your coin today!