1 oz. Pure Silver Coin - Canadian Honours: Sacrifice Medal (2017)

It is said that our national identity was forged 100 years ago at the Battle of Vimy Ridge where all four Canadian Divisions fought side-by-side on the heavily defended hill. Their efforts proved victorious; but triumph in war comes with sacrifice and loss—a sentiment embodied by the mournful statue "Canada" found at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. The figure's solemn expression of grief is a silent but powerful representation of a nation's remembrance and recognition of lives lost or broken by conflict.

Fittingly, the statue's likeness graces the reverse of the Sacrifice Medal, awarded to members of the Canadian Armed Forces who, like many a brave soul who fought at Vimy, have been wounded by hostile action or have died as a result of their service to their country working to secure peace in their time.

Approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 17, 2008, the Sacrifice Medal is one of the more recent additions to the Canadian Honours System. It provides a lasting form of recognition to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (and those who partner with them) who have been wounded in the line of duty "as a direct result of a hostile action or action intended for a hostile force" or have died as a direct result of military service.

The design for the medal and its brightly coloured ribbon was a collaborative effort between Captain Carl Gauthier of the Directorate of Honours & Recognition, and Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority. It is proudly manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint in its Ottawa facility.

• THE SPIRIT OF VIMY: On the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Royal Canadian Mint honours those who were wounded by hostile action or died as a result of their service to their country—both then and now.
• FEATURES THE ENGRAVED DATES "1917-2017": The double dates of "1917-2017" are included to represent the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
• EXCEPTIONAL SERIES, EXCEPTIONAL CANADIANS: The first coin in a series that explores some of the highest honours in Canada's Honours System.
• OUTSTANDING CRAFTSMANSHIP: Selective colour re-creates the eye-catching red, white and black of the Sacrifice Medal's ribbon, while careful engraving and finishes replicates the medal's design in meticulous detail.
• RARE COLLECTING OPPORTUNITY: Never before has the Sacrifice Medal appeared on a coin. It's a deeply meaningful way of recognizing the courage and sacrifice made by the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces who were wounded by enemy action or diedas a result of their service.
• LOW MINTAGE: Your coin has a low limited worldwide mintage of 5,500.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. Most of these are serialized certifications, meaning that each certificate is given a unique number, starting at 1.
• 99.99% PURE SILVER! 
• No GST/HST!

Your coin presents a faithful reproduction of the Sacrifice Medal, with all of the details that carry the full weight of the symbolism from the original design. The real-life medal has a diameter of 36 millimetres; here, your coin's 40 mm diameter allows for a partial view of the ribbon, which is ornamented with the Royal Crown (St. Edward's Crown) to represent The Queen as Canada's Head of State and Head of the armed forces. Selective colour re-creates the ribbon's black central stripe that symbolizes mourning and grief; this is flanked by the red stripes that represent the blood spilled, while smaller white stripes speak of peace and hope for a better future.

On the medal itself, detailed engraving recreates the familiar representation of the cloaked statue "Canada" found at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France. With a downcast expression that personifies a nation's sorrow for her fallen, the mournful figure faces right towards the flat horizon—itself a representation of the loneliness and isolation of mourning—while the word "SACRIFICE" looms just above it in the sky.

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

Order today!