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2023 Canada Kathleen "Kit" Coleman: Pioneer Journalist Fine Silver Proof Set (No Tax)
In a time when women journalists were limited to writing about the female perspective and women’s issues, Kathleen “Kit” Blake Coleman (1856-1915) helped pave the way for better representation in newsrooms across Canada. Known to her many readers as “Kit,” the intrepid reporter made history 125 years ago by becoming North America’s first accredited woman war correspondent. She helped establish the Canadian Women’s Press Club in 1904 and served as its first president, and later became the first syndicated woman columnist in Canada.
“Kit” Coleman is honoured on the 2023 Proof Dollar, and you’ll find an enhanced version of it in this seven-piece set. Each coin—one of every denomination, even 50 cents—has been meticulously crafted in 99.99% pure silver. But the unmistakable star of the set is “Kit” Coleman herself, whose portrait is part of the gold-plated collage on your coin’s reverse.
Kit first joined the Toronto Daily Mail as a women’s editor in 1889 in order to support herself and her two young children. Her weekly, seven-column “Woman’s Kingdom” page featured a mix of observations and advice, thought-provoking articles and travel writings. Coleman was known to go undercover in other cities, such as London and San Francisco, in order to write about social issues and the plight of the poor. Though her travel writings were curtailed after the Mail merged with the Empire in 1895, Kit was dispatched to London in 1897 to cover Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee; while there, she spent time with Sir Wilfrid Laurier, then the prime minister of Canada (and reportedly an avid reader of Coleman’s column).
In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, Coleman became North America’s first accredited woman war correspondent. While she was authorized to accompany American troops in Cuba, her male colleagues and the army commanders on the ground were opposed to the idea of having a woman in their midst, and they prevented her travel. Stranded in Florida, she eventually landed in Cuba in July 1898; while she had missed the main battles, her accounts of the war’s aftermath made her internationally famous.
Designed by Canadian artist Pandora Young, the Proof Dollar’s reverse features a silhouette of journalist Kathleen “Kit” Blake Coleman (1856-1915) holding an open notebook and pen. Within that silhouette are various elements that represent her life and career (from top to bottom): The Mail and Empire building in Toronto, Ont.; SS Circassian, the passenger ship that brought the Irish-born writer to Canada in 1884; a partial map of the Atlantic Ocean, to represent Coleman’s travels and dispatches; a view of Coleman writing at her desk; and a vintage typewriter that symbolizes her legacy and impact on Canadian journalism. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The obverse also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign.
Specifications:
Item Number: 205802
Mintage: 20,000
Finish: Proof
Artist: Proof Dollar: Pandora Young (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
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Composition
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Weight
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Diameter
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Edge
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Proof Dollar
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99.99% pure silver with
selective gold plating
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23.17 g
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36 mm
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Reeded
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2 dollars
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99.99% pure silver with
selective gold plating
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9 g
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28 mm
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Interrupted serrations
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1 dollar
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99.99% pure silver with
gold plating
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7.89 g
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26.5 mm
11 sided
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Plain
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50 cents
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99.99% pure silver
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9.25 g
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27.13 mm
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Reeded
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25 cents
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6 g
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23.88 mm
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10 cents
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2.45 g
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18.05 mm
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5 cents
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5.4 g
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21.20 mm
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Plain
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Special Features:
• A journalism pioneer! One of Canada’s most successful early presswomen and a woman of many firsts, journalist Kathleen “Kit” Blake Coleman is honoured on Canada’s Proof Dollar in 2023, which marks the 125th anniversary of her becoming North America’s first accredited woman war correspondent.
• The Proof Dollar for 2023! Crafted in 99.99% pure silver, the annual Fine Silver Proof Dollar is our flagship collector coin and one of the year’s most anticipated collectibles.
• A design within a design! The silhouette collage on the coin’s reverse captures key moments in the journalist’s life—from the office of the Toronto newspapers that published her columns from 1889 to 1911, to the vintage typewriter that represents her legacy and impact on journalism.
• Enhanced with gold plating! All seven coins in this set are 99.99% pure silver, including the selectively gold-plated Proof Dollar—a set exclusive. The coin’s silhouette collage (reverse), rim and effigy (obverse) are all plated with gold for an added touch of luxury.
• Limited supply! Only 20,000 sets available worldwide.
• Also Available: The 2023 Fine Silver Proof Dollar honouring Kathleen "Kit" Blake Coleman also appears in the 2023 Special Edition Proof Set.
Packaging:
The fine silver proof set is presented in Royal Canadian Mint-branded book-style packaging with a removable lens for easy viewing.
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