2016-08-04 Thu

Almonte Coin Club members met at the parking lot of Alliance Coin & Banknote to celebrate the minting of their own commemorative coin/ medal. A 25mm medal was hand-struck using aluminium, copper and brass with a special Russian coin press which was given to the club by an Ottawa collector Bruce McCaffery. The upper and lower steel dies of the press strike blank planchets. Struck using the 2,000-year-old technology of physical force using a 12-pound sledgehammer, the designs are imprinted of both dies at the same time. Tony, a retired master banknote engraver created the design for the coin.

These medals commemorate two special events. The “reverse”, depicts Almonte’s Old Post Office clock tower which is symbolic to Almonte Coin Club as well as the 2016 Ottawa convention of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association, of which the club is a member. The obverse celebrates “James Naismith & 125 Years of Basketball”.

Almost 200 examples of the medal have been hand-struck for the Ottawa convention. Three educational striking demonstrations were performed by Terry, the acting Mint-Master.