Canada 2004 Golden Poppy Quarter 25 Cents Silver Proof w/24-Karat Gold Plating, with 2004 Royal Canadian Mint Annual Report

The second in the Royal Canadian Mint’s six-year series of incredibly low-mintage, gold-plated proofs comes with the mint’s annual report. This year the mint highlights a sterling silver version of the 2004 Poppy Quarter with 24-karat gold plating! This special series of coins (available only in the annual reports) will culminate in 2008 with the celebration of the mint’s 100th anniversary.

Veterans Day
Major hostilities of the First World War were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, with the German signing of the Armistice. After World War I, fields of poppies flowered on the battlefields of Flanders. November 11th was set aside each year as Veterans Day (originally called Armistice Day), when we pause to remember those who have served in the armed forces, and those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom. The blood-red poppy is a most appropriate symbol of remembrance for our honored war dead who made the ultimate sacrifice.

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The Poppy
When the poet John McCrae wrote the famous words, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow…” only destiny knew the impact his words would have on the world. In giving a voice to the anguish McCrae must have felt as he witnessed the horrors of war, In Flanders Fields also gave voice to the poppy - the humble, scarlet flower that grew to become Canada’s quintessential symbol of remembrance.

This was not the first time a link between the poppy and war had been made. A century earlier, a writer during the Napoleonic wars noted how the battlefields became covered with poppies once the fighting was over.

Now with the First World War, the battles that took place in Flanders infused the soil with lime that enabled the poppy to thrive in a landscape of destruction. Nature could not have selected a more fitting symbol to solemnize a soldier’s ultimate sacrifice. For McCrae, the poppy was a life-changing sight. Today, it’s a powerful reminder that inspires thousands of people across Canada and increasingly throughout North America to honor the men and women who have given their lives for freedom.

Please see the end of this article for the complete text of the poem In Flanders Fields.

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Investment Note
The 2004 Annual Report contains an extremely low mintage 25 cent piece, and a silver proof one at that! Only 15,000 of these silver quarters were struck, making this the lowest-mintage Canadian quarter in decades, and they are only available in the 2004 Annual Report. The report itself has a value-added bonus - it’s individually hand-signed (not printed) by then Mint President and CEO David Dingwall, making for a unique collectible! The rarity of the coin coupled with the hand-signed report make this set an incredible investment opportunity. Quarter collectors for generations to come will need this truly scarce coin to complete their collections, so buy one (or more) today!

Click here for all of the Annual Reports issued so far in this popular series!

Technology Note
The Royal Canadian Mint’s proprietary selective gold plating process is the most advanced in the world, resulting in unparalleled precision and beauty.

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Obverse
A gold-plated poppy is centered inside a large maple leaf. Above, the legends CANADA 2004 and 25 CENTS, and below in a banner, the legend REMEMBER • SOUVENIR.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears.

Packaging
The second issue in the incredible Annual Reports series come packaged like its predecessor, in a bilingual, individually-numbered, specially-designed report, hand-signed by then-mint President and CEO David Dingwall.

Specifications