Commems Collection Canadian: War Of 1812 Commemorative Programs - Part II

I meant to put this post together years ago, but it fell off my radar and never happened. So, though it's long overdue, at least the story is concluded.

If you'd like to check out Part I before continuing, here's a link:

- War Of 1812 Commemorative Programs - Part I

Note: Part I provides more details on the design of the $4 coin series.

As I mentioned in Part I, the Royal Canadian Mint (R CM) and Canada Post (CP) each released commemorative products in 2012 and 2013 to mark the bicentennial of the War of 1812; the War extended from 1812 to 1815. Each created a two-year program that honored Major-General Sir Isaac Brock and Tecumseh in Year 1 and Charles-Michel d'Irumberry de Salaberry and Laura Secord in Year 2.

The Mint issued circulating, base metal 25-cent coins (with and without added colour) as well as silver $4 "collector" coins (with selective colour). The first coin to be issued honored de Salaberry; it was released in March 2013.

Charles-Michel d'Irumberry de Salaberry (b. 1778; d. 2829) was a French-Canadian who was a military officer (Lieutenant Colonel) in the British Army and Canadian militia during the War of 1812. He was instrumental in winning the Battle of Châteauguay in October 1813 - his leadership prevented an attack on Montreal by advancing American forces.

2013 Lieutenant-Colonel MajorCharles-Michel d'Irumberry de Salaberry $4 Silver Coin - Reverse


The second coin of 2013 honored Laura Secord; it was released in June.

The story of Laura Secord (b. 1775; d. 1868), has become one of legend in Canada. In 1813, Laura secretly learned about attack plans being developed by American troops against Beaver Dams in Ontario. She walked approximately 30 kilometers to warn British Lieutenant James FitzGibbon of the American plans. As a result, the American forces were ambushed and forced to surrender.

2013 Laura Secord $4 Silver Coin - Reverse


Each of the $4 coins had a Maximum Mintage of 10,000; none of the four coins reached this maximum, however. Per Mint Annual Reports for 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Top Seller was the 2012 Tecumseh coin with total sales of 7,521. The 2012 Sir Isaac Brock coin had total sales of 6,877; the 2013 de Salaberry coin had sales of 5,383 units and the 2013 Laura Secord coin had sales of 5,104 units.

Bonnie Ross was the designer of all four coins in the set.

Canada Post issued a se-tenant pair of stamps commemorating the roles of de Salaberry and Secord in the War. Their design theme matches the 2012 stamps issued, with a foreground portrait of the hero being commemorated and a contiguous landscape scene in the background.

The stamps were designed by Susan Scott with Suzanne Duranceau assisting with the illustration. The 2012 stamps were printed by Lowe-Martin Group; the 2013 stamps by the Canadian Bank Note Company. The rate of the stamps is designated as "Permanent - Domestic."

Print runs for the stamps was as follows:

2012 Brock-Tecumseh: 1,500,000 total stamps in 93,750 panes (750,000 of each stamp).

2013 de Salaberry-Secord: 1,600,000 total stamps in 100,000 panes (800,000 of each stamp).

2013 de Salaberry-Secord Stamp Pane



For more of my stories about commemorative coins and medals, including more about Canadian commemorative pieces, see: Commems Collection.