Michael Souza

In Memoriam

4 June 2020 4 June 2020Club News

Leslie David Copan (1928 – 2020) Leslie David Copan, or Les Copan, to everyone that knew him, passed away on May 12th at the age of 93. A passionate numismatist, Les was involved in the study and collection of currency from childhood onward. Recognized as Fellow of the Royal Canadian Numismatic Association (FRCNA) and as Fellow of the Canadian Numismatic Research Society (FCNRS), Les was active nationally and locally in the Vancouver Numismatic Society and North Shore Numismatic Society for decades He was also a regular dealer at VNS and NSNS coins shows when they were held at Oakridge. An…

Stamps in a Can

2 March 2019 2 March 2019Stamps

In November 2016, to celebrate the National Canning industry, Portugal issued a series of six stamps contained in an unopened can. The idea behind this very special highlight was the inclusion of 50,000 series of these stamps presented inside food cans, specially prepared and screen-printed for the purpose, but otherwise identical to those used for seafood. These stamps show the different processes as well as the various types of fish, including Sardines, Eel, and Tuna, which you can find attractively packaged in colourful cans in food stores and souvenir shops everywhere in Lisbon! This is the first time that an…

The Story of the French Spy Stamps

8 October 2018 12 October 2018Stamps

(The original French stamps are on the left, the British counterparts are on the right) Most philatelist know the part that stamps have played in making — and remaking — the history of the world. They have started wars and celebrated peace; they have inflamed slumbering animosities into bloody outbreaks, ridiculed political leaders, and they have played a most important part in the waging of war. In recent times, stamps perhaps played no more important role than they did in helping the French underground, the famed Maquis, in their life and death struggle with…

100th Anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs

24 May 2018 24 May 2018Stamps

To commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Canada Post issued this souvenir sheet in 2017 depicting a hockey sweater. The actual stamp has a denomination of $5 and bears an embroidered maple leaf in the centre of the stamp. According to the Canada Post presentation folder: “In celebration of the team’s proud history, the centennial sweater sports a redesigned Maple Leafs’ logo with 17 veins for the year the franchise was founded and 31 points in the opening of Maple Leaf Gardens in 1931. The 13 veins in the top part of the Leafs logo mark the…

Austrian Tree-shaped stamp

24 May 2018 24 May 2018Stamps

In 2017, Austria issued the first tree-shaped wooden stamp printed on real wood from an oak tree. Austrian Post claims they are unbreakable. The stamp is created using laser cutting and laser branding and has a denomination of 6.90 Euros. Image curtesy of Ebay seller starlightcity 99 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/AUSTRIA-2017-OAK-TREE-SHAPED-REAL-OAK-WOOD-SOUVENIR-SHEET-OF-1-STAMP-MINT-MNH/302745508912?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D50999%26meid%3D1d79e7a7f1764fcbba7c80eb1e5a6b31%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D272825323882%26itm%3D302745508912&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851) Description by nsns72

2018 Yin Yang Coin

5 May 2018 5 May 2018Canadian Coinage, Unusual Coins

These two amazing Canadian yin and yang-shaped silver coins feature two heroes of Chinese tradition—the Tiger and the Dragon. They are designed to fit together to form a perfect circle. The theme of balance is fully realized in their stunning imagery, rich colour, and singular design! Yin and yang function together to represent harmony and balance among opposing forces. Though associated with opposition traits (Tiger/Dragon, black/white, feminine/masculine, hard/soft, heaven/earth), there is no hierarchy between them. The Tiger, earthy and cunning, conjures strength and bravery. The mythical Dragon, master of the heavens, is associated with power and was once synonymous…

First Coin with a Game App

5 May 2018 5 May 2018Coins Of The World, Unusual Coins

Issued on behalf of Sierra Leone in conjunction with Rovio Entertainment Corporation, this fabulous new coin which features Red includes a special Zappar code which allows you to enter Bird World and interact with the Angry Birds™. Angry Birds hatched as a casual mobile game that has blossomed into one of the most beloved entertainment brands in the world, inspiring over a dozen games, billions of consumer products, several animated series and a hit blockbuster movie. In the centre of the story is the epic battle between the flightless birds and the green pigs. Why do they fight?…

Coca-Cola Bottle Cap Coin

23 February 2018 23 February 2018Coins Of The World, Unusual Coins

Since 1892, Coca-Cola has been encouraging the world to open happiness by enjoying an ice-cold Coca-Cola beverage with friends and family. Their relatable branding and timeless appeal has made Coca-Cola an internationally recognized icon. For the first time in history, Coca-Cola has made its way into numismatics with officially-licensed Coca-Cola bottle cap-shaped $1 silver coins. Every “cap” is $1 legal tender, its value and purity backed by the government of Fiji. SPECIFICATIONS Mintage: 25,000 Material: Pure Silver (99.99%) Finish: Proof Weight: 6 Grams Dimensions: 32.6mm Denomination: $1.00 Images courtesy of Modern Coin Mart (https://www.ebay.com/itm/2018-Fiji-Coca-Cola-Bottle-Cap-Shaped-6g-Silver-Proof-1-Coin-in-OGP-SKU50357/132390699688?hash=item1ed319c2a8:g:9M0AAOSw4PxaHtLb) Description courtesy…

Happy 70th Wedding Anniversary

14 November 2017 14 November 2017Coins Of The World, History In Coins

HM Queen Elizabeth and HRH Prince Philip were married on November 20, 1947. 2017 marks their 70th Wedding Anniversary. Achieving a Platinum wedding anniversary is an incredible feat and, in order to celebrate the Royal Couple’s milestone, Pobjoy Mint has produced one of the largest coins to date. With a weight of 70oz (4.37 lbs.) this coin would make a beautiful centrepiece to any numismatic collection. Production is technically very demanding and each piece has been encrusted with 70 Diamonds (Total Weight of 1 Carat). Spot gold plating has been used to highlight certain pieces of jewellery.…

125th Anniversary of the Stanley Cup

3 October 2017 3 October 2017Canadian Coinage, Unusual Coins

In 1892, the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley, donated a silver bowl for the purpose of fostering a competitive spirit between Canada’s amateur hockey teams. From this expression of support sprung a rich legacy, as the Stanley Cup evolved into one of the most revered trophy in professional sports—and a celebrated icon in Canada. The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the Stanley Cup’s origins, with a one-of-a-kind shaped coin that pays tribute to hockey’s ultimate prize. Special Features: -AN OUTSTANDING RCM FIRST: Introducing the first ever Stanley Cup-shaped coin! -Struck…

Sesquicentennial Puzzle Coin

12 July 2017 12 July 2017Canadian Coinage, Unusual Coins

Canadian heraldic artist Cathy Bursey-Sabourin has recreated Canada’s 13 provincial and territorial shields on a series of jigsaw pieces that encircle a central coin to create a large, 14-part coin. Each shield is exquisitely coloured and presented in the order each province and territory entered Confederation. A garland of maple leaves visually connects the pieces and carries a ribbon with each province’s and territory’s year of entry into Confederation. The central coin features a selectively gold plated Centre Block of Parliament Hill…

A First for the Faeroe Islands

28 May 2017 27 May 2017Stamps

On September 26, 2016, the Faeroe Islands Postal Service issued a stamp featuring a small piece of Atlantic cod fish skin attached to it. The stamps were produced in France using skins from cod that had been caught in Faeroese waters and then tanned in Iceland. The stamps have a face value of 50 DKK (Danish Krone) and no two stamps will be identical due to the variations in the scales patterns of any fish. Atlantic cod can grow to 2 metres in length and can weigh up to almost 100 kilos. Although tanning of fish skin has not been…

Commemorating the Norman Conquest

20 April 2017 19 April 2017Stamps

The Bayeux Tapestry or Bayeux Embroidery is an embroidered cloth nearly 70 metres (230 ft) long and 50 centimetres (20 in) tall, which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, and culminating in the Battle of Hastings. The tapestry consists of some fifty scenes with Latin tituli, embroidered on linen with coloured woollen yarns. It is likely that it was commissioned by Bishop Odo, William’s half-brother, and made in England—not Bayeux—in the 1070s. In 1729 the hanging was rediscovered by scholars at…

The U.S. Capitol Building

7 March 2017 6 March 2017History In Coins, Unusual Coins

This 2017 $1 coin produced by the Pobjoy Mint for The British Virgin Islands is in the shape of the U.S. Capitol Building. The United States Capitol, often called the Capitol Building or Capitol Hill, is the home of the United States Congress and the seat of the Legislative branch of the US Federal Government. It sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. William Thornton is the man we can thank for this marvel of engineering and as he was born in the British Virgin Island,…

First DVD stamps

6 February 2017 6 February 2017Stamps

N Korea 2008 Beijing Olympics DVD Rom Version 1

These two octagonal (8-sided) stamps were issued in January 2009 by North Korea to commemorate the 2008 Beijing Olympics Games. It is unusual in that they consist of two playable DVDs with values of 300 Won and 500 Won, respectively. The DVDs are enclosed in a package and contain Korean songs and dances. “The First Digital Versatile Disc Stamp of the world” is mentioned on the package label. Subsequent to their release, North Korea issued a second version with round CDs. The phrase on the package label was changed to “The first Compact Disc video stamp of the World”. Even…

The Lusitania Medal

21 January 2017 21 January 2017History In Coins

During the First World War, the British passenger liner, R.M.S. Lusitania, was on its return trip from the United States, when it was torpedoed by a German submarine on 7 May, 1915. Of the 1,951 passengers and crew, 1,198 perished in the sinking. In August 1915, the Munich medallist and sculptor Karl Goetz, produced a medal with a limited run of 500 medals as a satirical attack on the Cunard Line for continuing to do business as usual during wartime. The medal carried an incorrect date of 5 May instead of 7 May as the day of the sinking.…

Wake up to a New Year

1 January 2017 21 November 2016Coins Of The World, Unusual Coins

According to the Chinese zodiac, the year 2017 is ruled by the Rooster. The Rooster loves to be the centre of attention; witty and self-assured, he or she can talk about anything! A natural performer, he or she does amazingly well in any career that puts him or her in the public eye. The Rooster is astute, organized and decisive—put him or her in charge, and your life and finances will run like clockwork! The coin features the 24-karat gilded image of a rooster in the middle of a ring made of real jade.…

Paraguayan 1985 Playable Record and stamp

23 December 2016 23 December 2016Stamps

In 1985, Paraguay issued a souvenir sheet commemorating Luis Alberto del Paraná (1926 – 1974) and the “Galopera”. Luis Alberto del Paraná was a popular Paraguayan singer and guitarist. During the fifties, sixties and early seventies, he traveled extensively around the globe with his group Los Paraguayos, popularizing Paraguayan music. He is the best-selling Paraguayan musician ever sharing the stage with The Beatles and recorded with The Rolling Stones. Luis Alberto del Paraná and “Los Paraguayos” sold more than 30,000,000 records, more than 650,000 tape cassettes, and traveled more than 1,000,000 kilometers during their tours. Tragically, in 1974, at the…

Mount Vesuvius commemorated

23 November 2016 14 November 2016History In Coins, Unusual Coins

Vesuvius is one of two active volcanoes located on the European mainland, and one of the five most dangerous and oldest volcanoes in the world. It is located 9 km east of Naples on the Italian mainland. In August 79 AD, its eruption led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, as well as several other settlements. The thermal energy released by the eruption was a hundred thousand times the thermal energy released by the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombings. More than 1,000 people died in the eruption, but exact numbers…

Happy 90th Birthday

16 November 2016 8 November 2016Unusual Coins

The British Virgin Islands released this unusual bi-metallic 1 Dollar coin in 2016 to commemorate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th Birthday. The coin is struck in the shape of the numeral “90”. Both sides of the coin feature portraits of the Queen. One portrait is surrounded by bouquet made up of the Rose of England, the Thistle of Scotland, the Daffodil of Wales and the Shamrock of Ireland. The flowers represent the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. The other side includes a different portrait of the Queen and the royal crown surrounded by…

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