Canada: New Designs on Coins in 2017

[Bimat]

Canada's new coins have an amazing pro-gay secret

13th September 2015, 6:15 PM
Nick Duffy

One of the designs that could appear on Canada's new coins conceals a subtle pro-equality message.

The country is currently holding a contest to pick the designs for new coinage, with special five cent, ten cent, 25 cent, one dollar and two dollar coins all set to be issued in 2017 to mark the country's 150th birthday.

Following a number of public submissions, the Canadian Mint has announced the final shortlist for each of five categories, from each of which a design will be chosen.

It won't be revealed which category corresponds to which coin until after the winners are picked.

However, one of the shortlisted candidates in the 'our Character' category hides a subtle pro-gay message in what at first appears to be a random pattern.

If you look closely, the coin, which is intended to represent "our shared values and diversity as a nation", features not random squiggles but a number of abstract stick figure families – representing same-sex parents and opposite-sex parents.

Robert Beaupré from Saint-Lambert, Québec, who submitted the design, wrote: "With this design, I want to represent Canadian values: a mother, a father and their child; two mothers and their child; two fathers and their child, the acceptance and equality with respect to Canadian laws and values for the whole world."

The design has to face off against the four others in the category, however, to appear on the actual currency.

The Canadian public are able to vote for their favourite – with voting closing on October 8.

The Mint said: "Celebrate Canada's 150th anniversary with pocket change designed by Canadians and chosen by you.

"Until October 9, vote as often as you like for your favourite coin design in each of our five categories.

"The more you vote and share your choices with your family and friends on Facebook and Twitter, the more you increase the chances of seeing your favourite designs on our 2017 coins."

Canada introduced same-sex marriage back in 2005, and has been one of the world's most progressive countries on LGBT rights.

Source: Pink News

[Bimat]

Shortlisted designs can be viewed here (Voting is also possible):

http://www.mint.ca/store/coin-design-contest/contest-vote-form.jsp

Shall post the pics for easy reference here once I get back to home.

Aditya

[Figleaf]

"The more you vote (...) the more you increase the chances of seeing your favourite designs on our 2017 coins."

Vote early, vote often? At least they are honest about it, unlike the EU.

Peter

[Bimat]

Vote early, vote often? At least they are honest about it, unlike the EU.

I'm not sure how voting system is going to work here. If I can vote multiple times using different IP addresses, then no doubt the results will be manipulated. They should ask for some concrete proof (like passport number, social security number etc) before registering your vote(s) to avoid pseudo voting...

Aditya

[quaziright]

Since I don't see any pics...

[Prosit]

Out of 25 images shown I kinda like two or three, 

Dale

[quaziright]

I can tolerate our wonders and our character. The others just seem silly

[onecenter]

Canada has its 1967 Centennial classics and its 1992 set of provincial and territorial scenes that set numismatic trends for the last 24 years.  No doubt, Canada will have a series of designs for the country's sesquicentennial that will be equally enjoyed by many collectors.