Mint releases new $2 coin commemorating 75th anniversary of the end of WWII

Mint releases new $2 coin commemorating 75th anniversary of the end of WWII
Royal Canadian Mint
Royal Canadian Mint releases new $2 coin celebrating the end of the Second World War exactly 75 years after it officially ended.

The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled a brand new circulation $2 coin commemorating the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

On Sept. 2, 1945, the Japanese formally surrendered, officially ending the Second World War.

On Wednesday, exactly 75 years later, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled a brand new $2 circulation celebrating the end of the Second World war and the contributions made by Canadians during the six-year war. The Mint revealed the new coin in a video posted on YouTube.

“For nearly six years, Canadians serving in uniform or chipping in at home played a vital role in achieving a hard-won peace,” said Lawrence MacAulay, minister of veterans affairs, in a press release. “The Royal Canadian Mint’s circulation coin issued on the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War is a fitting tribute to their legacy of bravery, of service, and of tremendous sacrifice.”

The new $2 coin features a large letter V, which stands for Victory, behind a flaming torch. A small maple leaves appear under the 1945 and 2020 dates.  The words Victory and Victoire appear on the outer ring as does a message engraved in Morse code, which says “we win when we work willingly” and “la bonne volonté est gage de victoire.”

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The Royal Canadian Mint has a long history of honouring war efforts, with the first coin, known as the Victory Nickel, released into circulation in 1943 in an effort to inspire “all Canadians to work together to win” the war. The Mint says the new $2 coin is inspired by the 1943 Victory Nickel.

“The Royal Canadian Mint’s tradition of honouring our troops through coins goes all the way back to 1943, when Chief Engraver Thomas Shingles created the first Victory Nickel that called on all Canadians to work together to win the Second World War,” said Marie Lemay, the Mint’s president, adding.  “Today, that inspirational message has found a new home on a special $2 commemorative circulation coin that is a proud 75th anniversary salute to every Canadian who played a role in ending this historic conflict.”

The Mint is only releasing three million new $2 coins, of which two million will be in colour. The coins are currently entering circulation and can be found at bank branches and businesses in the coming days, weeks, months and years.

Photo credit: Royal Canadian Mint

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