1996 Royal Canadian Mint $2 Test Token

1996 CAD 2.00 Test Token Original Package (ER)

To read the complete lot description, see:
1996 CAD 2.00 Test Token Original Package (ER)(https://auction.auctionnetwork.ca/1996-CAD-2-00-Test-Token-Original-Package-ER_i31726991)

These are experimental test tokens. The purpose was to loan these tokens out to vending machine companies so they could calibrate their machinery in advance of a new coin beingreleased. Therefore they are the same size and weight as the issued coin but usually with a markedly different design that identifies it as a token. Ideally, these tokens weresupposed to be returned to the mint, and to this end a very high deposit is charged to the vending company to ensure their return but some simply never make it back home. Thesetokens are very rare, in fact few collectors ever see them.

This is an expanding series, meaning the mint continues to issue these tokens for machine calibrations as new coins are introduced. A recent advent is that the mint has soldits test tokens directly to the collecting public. The first and only issue of the tokens sold this way was the $2.00 test token, which sold out after only a few days of releaseand has since doubled in price. These tokens do have listings with catalogue numbers in the Charlton Standard Catalogue. No prices are shown because they trade so seldom,and who could price them anyways?

Experimental test tokens used to determine the best composition for longer life of dies. These are much rarer than the tokens given to the vending machine companies tocalibrate their machines. Only very small numbers of these tokens exist. They were used to determine the best alloys to create the best possible image with the least amount ofpressure. This would allow the dies to produce the maximum number of coins without requiring changing. Dies need to be changed when the engraving starts to be filled with metalfrom the planchets, or when cracks develop in the die.

To read the complete article, see:
Test Tokens (https://www.jandm.com/script/getitem.asp?CID=10&PID=10)