Long-time residents of Sudbury know we love all things coin related. Whether they're medals, medallions, tokens or medallets, we can't get enough. Did you know? Collectors of these types of items are called exonumists.

Medals became popular in the Sudbury area in the 1960's according to Jeff Fournier, former president of the Nickel Belt Coin Club and author of the book Sudbury Numismatics. Over 100 numismatic items have been produced in the Sudbury area.

"The impetus for [the popularity of the medals] was Ted Szilva and the Big Nickel," Fournier said. Szilva began minting medals to support the Canadian Centennial Numismatic Park project he had undertaken. A private project, Szilva came up with the novel way of minting the medals as a way to raise money to build the park's attractions.

In 1964 the first medals were minted and sold. The obverse of the medal featured the Big Nickel Monument and the reverse displayed Inco's reduction plant. Only 300 of these were minted in the first run.

Those 300 medals sold out within days and Szilva ordered more trying to meet the demand for this commemorative piece. With that first medal began Sudbury's obsession with medals, medallions, medallets and tokens.

In May of 1964 the Big Nickel monument was erected and dedicated on July 22, the Big Nickel's official birthday. The original base for the Big Nickel was made of rich Sudbury ore, which was replaced in 2003 by the stainless steel posts now used to support the Big Nickel. Silva continued to grow the numismatic park, including the addition of a 1965 Canadian one-cent piece known at the "Fantasy Copper" because of the sponsorship from Fantasy Copperware Canada.

In the late sixties, medals were in their "heyday," according to Fournier. Replica medals were released for both the Big Nickel and Fantasy Copper. They were released in a variety of metal compositions as more visitors asked for affordable souvenirs to bring home.

By the time all the monuments were constructed, the park was home to five mammoth coins: the Big Nickel, the Fantasy Penny, the Lincoln Penny, the Kennedy Half Dollar, and the Twenty Dollar Gold Piece.

Szilva operated the park until 1982 when it was sold to the city of Sudbury. In 1984, Science North opened and began operating the park. The attraction was renamed from "The Canadian Centennial Numismatic Park" to "The Big Nickel Mine."

In 2003, "The Big Nickel Mine" had been transformed and reopened as Dynamic Earth; an interactive, hands-on earth science centre.

The remaining large coin on display is the world-famous Big Nickel. The whereabouts of the other coins is a lingering question for some. When Fournier was researching for his book, he looked for answers as to what happened to the other monuments.

"I did track down a maintenance person who had worked at the Big Nickel, and he claimed all the monuments were taken down and sold for recycling," Fournier said.

While the coins may have been taken down and sold off, at least one component remains. Fournier said the base for the twenty-dollar coin monument is sitting as a decoration in the front yard of a Northern Ontario town.

Fournier is working on another book about Sudbury area medals, medallions, tokens and medallets, to be released in 2014. He hopes this one will fill in some information missing from his first book and it will contain an up-to-date catalog of the Sudbury area's world of exonumia.

In true Sudbury fashion Dynamic Earth is releasing a commemorative medal in celebration of the Big Nickel's 50th birthday as well as Science North's 30th anniversary. The 45mm brass medal will feature an aerial view of Science North with "30 years 1984-2014" overlaid on the picture. Along the edge "SCIENCE NORTH SUDBURY ONTARIO" is written with two snowflakes pictured. On the reverse is an image of the Big Nickel with "50 years 1964-2014" overlaid on the picture. Along the edge "DYNAMIC EARTH HOME OF THE BIG NICKEL" is written with two snowflakes pictured.

The medals are available starting today at a price of $19.95, at both Science North and Dynamic Earth. There will be 1,000 medals minted in the first issue.

To read the complete article, see:Science North: Celebrating Sudbury's special currency(www.thesudburystar.com/2014/05/17/science-north-celebrating-sudburys-special-currency)

To read earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
CANADA'S BIG NICKEL CELEBRATES AN ANNIVERSARY(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n30a22.html)
BIG NICKEL MEDAL IMAGE FOUND(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n32a11.html)
THE BIG NICKEL MEDAL(www.coinbooks.org/esylum_v12n31a20.html)