We just received this news:
On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock’s death on the battlefield at Queenston Heights, the Honourable Rob Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today unveiled a new Royal Canadian Mint circulation coin honouring his memory as a hero of the War of 1812. This is the first of four circulation coins which commemorate key historical figures who influenced the fight for Canada from 1812 to 1814.
“Honouring the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 with this special circulation coin pays tribute to one of our greatest national heroes and a crucial moment on the road to Confederation,” said Minister Nicholson. “Our Government encourages Canadians to take this unprecedented opportunity to learn more about our heroes and history and to take pride in our traditions by collecting this new circulation coin dedicated to War of 1812 hero Major-General Sir Isaac Brock.”
The War of 1812 paved the way for Confederation. It was the fight for Canada and a defining moment in our country’s history that saw British regular forces, English and French-speaking militia, First Nations and Métis allies join together to defend our borders. Without their courage and sacrifice, Canada as we know it would not exist. Major–General Brock died leading a charge against the Americans during the Battle of Queenston Heights on October 13, 1812 and earned the title “the hero of Upper-Canada.”
“The Royal Canadian Mint is committed to preserving memories of the people, places and events which tell the story of the Canadian experience and the remembrance of the heroes of the War of 1812 is a wonderful way to celebrate our proud values,” said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. “The name of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock is synonymous with the heroic deeds of our forefathers who valiantly defended Canada 200 years ago and the Mint is delighted to have issued a 25-cent circulation coin in honour of this legendary hero of the War of 1812, for Canadians to collect and admire.”
Limited to a mintage of 12.5 million coins, the Sir Isaac Brock 25-cent commemorative circulation coin begins circulating on October 13, 2012. The public is encouraged to look for it in their change or obtain it at face value on line at www.mint.ca/1812.
The Mint has also released a number of exquisite precious metal collector coins to add to the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. On October 2, 2012, the Mint issued a $4 face value 99.99% pure silver coin featuring a portrait of Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, set against an intricately engraved background consisting of the bilingual text “The War of 1812/La guerre de 1812.” This coin is also emblazoned by the engraved and painted Government of Canada War of 1812 logo. Limited to a mintage of only 10,000 examples world-wide, this coin retails for $49.95 CDN.
This product, and others, can be purchased from www.mint.ca; the Mint’s boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver; and through our network of distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets. These products can also be ordered by directly contacting the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada and 1-800-268-6468 in the U.S.
And we remind you that this weekend there will be elaborate re-enactments of the Battle of Queenston Heights and the burial of General Brock at Queenston Heights. Sure to be spectacular! Chris Mills wrote a great feature article about Brock in our current Autumn issue. Check it out.
