The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a Star Trek: The Original Series coin collection that celebrates the iconic show's 50th anniversary. And no less than William Shatner himself joined Sandra Hanington, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint, during an event to unveil the first of the coins, a $10 colored silver coin picturing Shatner's legendary alter ego, Captain James Tiberius Kirk. Earlier in the day, Shatner "struck" the first Kirk coin at the Mint.
The Kirk coin -- which features his image paired with his beloved ship, the USS Enterprise -- will set the stage for an upcoming treasure trove of Star Trek-themed coins that will be released over the next few months. THE 2016 $10 FINE SILVER COIN SERIES - STAR TREK: THE CHARACTERS AND THE TECHNOLOGY will include the Kirk/Enteprise coin as well as Scotty and Communicator (July 5), Communications Officer Uhura and Tricorder (August 2), Mr. Spock and Phaser (September 6).
Next, there's THE 2016 $20 FINE SILVER COIN - STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE. The reverse design of this 99.99% pure silver coin features a colorful tribute to the U.S.S. Enterprise which recreates a scene from the 1968 episode "I, Mudd." Rich color has been applied over an engraved scene of the famed star ship approaching a Class K planet, rendered in rich earth tones and set against the dark void of space. This 1 oz. silver coin is limited to a mintage of 11,500.
Then, the 2016 $20 FINE SILVER COIN SERIES - STAR TREK: CLASSIC SCENES is a three-coin series that captures classic scenes from the most popular TOS episodes. Beginning with "The City on the Edge of Forever" from 1967, every scene is rendered in bold color over an engraved surface. This coin features Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock standing among the ruins before the towering, ring-shaped entity known as “The Guardian of Forever.” Limited to a mintage of 11,500, this 1 oz. silver coin will be available as of August 2, 2016, followed on September 6 by a "Mirror Mirror" coin and on October 4 by a "The Trouble with Tribbles" coin.
And there's more:
One of the most cherished and recognized emblems of Star Trek is the Delta Shield insignia, which is celebrated in 99.99% pure gold on the world's first delta-shaped coin. Reflecting the gold tone of the TOS insignia, the Delta Shield featured on this 99.99% pure gold coin displays the elongated star symbol which identified crew assigned to Command. Available as of September 6, 2016, this exclusive collectible is limited to a low mintage of 1,500 coins.
2016 25-CENT COLORED COIN AND STAMP SET - STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE
The Mint has crafted a 25-cent face value, nickel-plated steel collector coin which is offered in a coin and stamp set. The reverse design of the coin combines detailed engraving with vibrant color in tribute to the U.S.S. Enterprise. Outer space serves as the dark background in the outer ring, over which six different perspectives of Enterprise surround a central motif of a Delta Shield insignia. The stamps included in this special set feature Captain Kirk, U.S.S. Enterprise and a Klingon battle cruiser.
The obverses of all these coins feature the 2003 effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt.
All of the coins are available now for pre-order at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada and 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. They also will be available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as through the Mint’s global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.
