The Royal Canadian Mint's latest release of collector coins continues to showcase Canada using creative shapes, sophisticated applications of colour and selective gold plating on its numismatic keepsakes, which are now available for purchase.

By turning its popular egg-shaped coins upside down, the Mint has created a novel and fitting tribute to Canada's numerous ballooning festivals on the 2017 $20 Fine silver coin, "Hot Air Balloons." Designed by artist Calder Moore, it features a vibrantly coloured scene of a balloon flotilla, including one displaying a red and white maple leaf design, which rises above a majestic Canadian landscape on a perfect summer morning. This $20 coin has a weight of 31.82 grams, a 45 mm long by 33 mm wide diameter and a mintage of 5,000 pieces.

FIRST FLIGHT OF 1783
Beautiful colour has been a signature feature of hot air balloons since the first flight of 1783. Inventors Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier worked with wallpaper manufacturer Jean-Baptiste Réveillon to build their 1,700-cubic-metre taffeta envelope, and Réveillon brought a strong sense of aesthetics to the project when he created a blue and gold design of flourishes, suns and zodiacs-and that is likely how the tradition of beauty took off.

The first passengers aboard a hot air balloon were a sheep, a duck and a rooster. They took to the air on Sept. 19, 1783, two months before the first manned flight in Paris.

The first hot air balloon in Canada was launched during the War of 1812 as a military post to observe American troops along the Quebec border.

To read the complete article, see:
New Issue: RCM September catalogue continues celebration of Canadian symbols(http://canadiancoinnews.com/new-issue-rcm-september-catalogue-continues-celebration-canadian-symbols/)