Canadian 2012 $20 Silver Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Coin for $20

The Royal Canadian Mint has launched the fourth strike in the extremely popular "Exchange $20 for $20" program with the release of the $20 Silver Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Coin.

Like the other three releases within the series, each fine silver $20 Diamond Jubilee commemorative is sold by the Mint at the face value.

The double effigy coin features a likeness of Queen Elizabeth II on both sides. Shown on the obverse is a portrait of the Queen from the early days of her reign with the reverse depicting a modern portrait.

This "Exchange $20 for $20" series debuted in 2011 with the Silver Maple Leaf Commemorative Coin. Despite being only available in Canada, the strike’s entire mintage of 200,000 sold out in only twenty-nine days with a household order limit of just three coins in place.

That feat was nearly duplicated later in the year with the release of the $20 Silver Canoe Commemorative Coin. The increased mintage of 250,000 sold out in just thirty-four days.

Collectors also raced to obtain the third issue from the series, the $20 Silver Polar Bear Commemorative Coin, resulting in a third series sell-out.

Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Coin Designs and Specifications

Each $20 Silver Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Coin is composed of 99.99% pure silver with a diameter of 27mm. The issue has a total weight of 7.96 grams which roughly equates to a quarter of an ounce of silver.

The obverse shows the classic Mary Gillick effigy of Queen Elizabeth II featured on many coins of the Queen’s realm from 1953 to 1967. Obverse inscriptions include "ELIZABETH II," "DEI GRATIA REGINA" and "CANADA."

Shown on the reverse is a modern portrait of the Queen by Laurie McGaw. This portrait is surrounded by the inscriptions of "20 DOLLARS," "FINE SILVER ARGENT PUR 9999," "CANADA" and "2012."

The Royal Canadian Mint is currently offering the $20 for $20 coin for sale to customers in Canada and the United States. A household order limit is in place of just three coins with the Mint indicating a maximum mintage again of 250,000.

Each encapsulated coin is inserted in a clear vinyl pouch and presented with a certificate booklet. Orders may be placed directly from the Royal Canadian Mint website (www.mint.ca) for $20 each, plus shipping and handling.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada’s circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale.