A little over a week ago, we introduced you to the Royal Canadian Mint's three-dimensional, diamond-shaped collectible coin — a .999 fine silver coin adorned with an actual 0.20-carat square-cut diamond. At the time, we reported that the unique offering was the world's first diamond-shaped coin.
But now we have to correct the record. The kudos for innovation really should be directed at Switzerland's Helvetic Mint, which unveiled its own limited-edition, diamond-studded, diamond-shaped coin nearly four years earlier.
Coin World's Jeff Starck pointed out in a Monday article that many media outlets had misinterpreted the Royal Canadian Mint's product description, which wasn't 100% clear on whether the innovative shape was a first-ever accomplishment for the Royal Canadian Mint or any mint.
On its official website, the Royal Canadian Mint stated, "...This first-ever diamond-shaped coin is an exciting addition to our premium lineup in 2020." The mint clarified later in the writeup, "This is the first time we've (emphasis added) struck such a uniquely shaped and dimensional... coin. An engineering feat that was over a year in the making!"
Even if it wasn't the first of its kind, RCM's 2020 diamond-shaped coin was an instant hit and quickly sold out of its mintage of 700 coins. Each coin carried a price tag of $1,500 CAD (about $1,117 US).
The RCM's coin is embedded with a square-cut Forevermark© Black Label diamond sourced from Northern Ontario’s Victor Mine. The four main crown facets of the coin include the square-cut diamond, the year “2020,” the word “Canada” and the face value “50 Dollars.” The table facet features the likeness of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
Here's how the diamond-shaped coins from the two mints compare...
• Face Value. Helvetic Mint (HM): 2 Dollars; Royal Canadian Mint (RCM): 50 Dollars
• Issuing Year. HM: 2016; RCM: 2020
• Country. HM: Niue (island country in South Pacific); RCM: Canada
• Metal. HM: .999 Pure Silver; RCM: .999 Pure Silver
• Weight. HM: 1.55 ounces; RCM: 3 ounces
• Diameter. HM: 26mm; RCM: 30.8mm
• Height. HM: 17mm; RCM: 21.2mm
• Mintage. HM: 222 coins (sold out); RCM: 700 coins (sold out)
• Diamond Weight. HM: 0.1 carat; RCM: 0.2 carats
• Table Effigy. HM: HRH Queen Elizabeth II; RCM: HRH Queen Elizabeth II
• Price. HM: $660 US (current value); RCM: $1,500 CAD (about $1,117 US)
Images courtesy of the Helvetic Mint and the CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mint.