2025 Canada $50 Emanuel Hahn's Original Sketch: Royal Visit Fine Silver (No Tax)

2025 Canada $50 Emanuel Hahn's Original Sketch: Royal Visit Fine Silver (No Tax)

The Royal Canadian Mint dips into the archives to bring you another reproduction of an original sketch from sculptor/coin designer Emanuel Hahn: his hand-drawn map of Canada concept for medallions commemorating the 1939 Royal Visit.

In addition to Hahn’s Parliament-themed silver dollar, the Canadian government issued a series of medallions to mark the Royal Visit in 1939, and all of these bore Hahn’s art on their reverse. These medallions were identical in design, but struck in different sizes and materials: 77 mm presentation medallions in gold, silver and tombac; 38 mm silver medallions and bronze ones intended for sale to the public; and a 25 mm bronze medallion to be distributed to Canada’s school children.

Struck on the same 5 oz. thin blank as 2024’s Emanuel Hahn’s Original Sketch: Parliament, this 2025 collectible re-creates more than 1,600 lines from the original drawing, including its lettering guidelines and even the paper folds that mark Hahn’s hand-drawn map of Canada, which traces the Royal Tour’s itinerary from sea to sea – A Mari usque ad Mare.

Emanuel Hahn submitted two concepts for the 1939 Royal Visit medallion: one with the map of Canada (a suggestion from then-Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King), and one featuring the newly-built National War Memorial. Why wasn’t the War Memorial concept chosen? As explained in a letter dated December 1, 1938, from then-Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. W. C. Clark, to Dr. O. D. Skelton, Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs: “The sketch of the War Memorial is good insofar as general composition is concerned, but when this design is reduced to the size of the medallion, all the details in the figures will be lost. This design may also be criticized on the ground that the ‘war’ idea may carry an unfortunate connotation to the minds of some people in connection with a visit of Their Majesties.”

The coin’s reverse is an engraved representation of artist Emanuel Hahn’s hand-drawn concept for the 1939 Royal Visit medallion. Marked by the paper fold lines of the original pencil sketch residing in the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada, the reverse design shows a map of Canada that traces the route followed by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their visit in 1939. At the top is a ribbon bearing “A MARI VSQUE AD MARE” (“From Sea to Sea”), Canada’s official motto, while the Arms of Canada shield is flanked by the year “1939”. The reverse re-creates the perspective lines and other preliminary graphic elements drawn by the artist, including the lettering guidelines surrounding “REGEM-ET-REGINAM-CANADA-SALVAT”, an erroneous Latin inscription that was later corrected to “REGEM-ET-REGINAM-CANADA-SALVTAT” (“Canada salutes the King and Queen”). The obverse features the effigy of King George VI by Thomas Humphrey Paget.

Specifications:
RCM Number: 249380
Mintage: 1,350
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Weight: 158.5 g
Diameter: 110 mm
Face Value: $50
Finish: Antique
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Emanuel Hahn (reverse), Steven Rosati (obverse)

Special Features:

• The Royal Canadian Mint's second thin 5 oz. coin. Like 2024’s Emanuel Hahn’s Original Sketch: Parliament, this coin was struck on an innovative coin blank that gives you 5 oz. of 99.99% pure silver, but with a 50% larger diameter than the standard 5 oz. fine silver coin.
• Drawn by Hahn. Another rare and exciting opportunity for collectors to own an engraved representation of an original drawing by Emanuel Hahn – this time, his hand-drawn concept for the 1939 Royal Visit Medallion.
• A slightly different inscription. Faithfully reproduced on your coin, Hahn’s original sketch features the erroneous Latin inscription “REGEM ET REGINAM CANADA SALVAT”, which was later corrected to “REGEM ET REGINAM CANADA SALVTAT” (“Canada salutes the King and Queen”).
• Honouring Hahn. Artist, sculptor, coin designer – Emanuel Hahn left an indelible mark on Canada’s numismatic history, and his Bluenose (10 cents) and Caribou (25 cents) designs still grace our circulation coins today.
• Includes art card. Each coin is accompanied by an art card featuring a reproduction of Hahn’s original sketch.
• No GST/HST.

Packaging:
This coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.