2019-09-07 Sat

The Royal Canadian Mint issued a new coin honouring the legendary British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Struck in 311.5 grams of .999 Fine Silver, the big Proof coin has a diameter of 76.2 mm and a mintage limit of 700 pieces. The reverse side depicts a reproduced illustration of the famous 1940 photo of Churchill titled “The Roaring Lion”, taken by Armenian-Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh, C.C. The obverse side depicts an effigy of King George VI designed by T. H. Paget. This obverse design can be seen on Canadian coins that were circulated at the time when this photograph was taken. The coins have a face value of 100 dollars. They are encapsulated separately and then housed in a specially designed case along with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

The photo was taken when Churchill visited Canada on 30th December 1941 at the House of Commons. It went on to become one of the most popular photographs of the 20th century. It also symbolised Churchill’s fearless nature and inspiring speeches, just like a lion’s roar. Churchill had just given a speech in the Canadian House of Commons before the click was taken. He was actually glaring at the photographer when the latter removed Churchill’s cigar from his mouth unexpectedly. After the snap, Churchill smiled and said, “You can even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed.” The picture skyrocketed photographer Karsh’s career to a whole new level.

Image Courtesy: The Royal Canadian Mint