Description
It is said that our national identity was forged 100years ago at the Battle of Vimy Ridge where all four Canadian Divisions fought side-by-side on the heavily defended hill. Their efforts proved victorious; but triumph in war comes with sacrifice and loss—a sentiment embodied by the mournful statue “Canada” found at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. The figure’s solemn expression of grief is a silent but powerful representation of a nation’s remembrance and recognition of lives lost or broken by conflict.
Fittingly, the statue’s likeness graces the reverse of the Sacrifice Medal, awarded to members of the Canadian Armed Forces who, like many a brave soul who fought at Vimy, have been wounded by hostile action or have died as a result of their service to their country working to secure peace in their time.
Approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on April 17, 2008, the Sacrifice Medal is one of the more recent additions to the Canadian Honours System. It provides a lasting form of recognition to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (and those who partner with them) who have been wounded in the line of duty “as a direct result of a hostile action or action intended for a hostile force” or have died as a direct result of military service.
The design for the medal and its brightly coloured ribbon was a collaborative effort between Captain Carl Gauthier of the Directorate of Honours & Recognition, and Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Fraser Herald at the Canadian Heraldic Authority. It is proudly manufactured by the Royal Canadian Mint in its Ottawa facility.
Your coin is a touching tribute that honours Canada’s very best. Order today.
- THE SPIRIT OF VIMY: On the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, the Royal Canadian Mint honours those who were wounded by hostile action or died as a result of their service to their country—both then and now.
- FEATURES THE ENGRAVED DATES “1917-2017”: The double dates of “1917-2017” are included to represent the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
- EXCEPTIONAL SERIES, EXCEPTIONAL CANADIANS: The first coin in a series that explores some of the highest honours in Canada’s Honours System.
- OUTSTANDING CRAFTSMANSHIP: Selective colour re-creates the eye-catching red, white and black of the Sacrifice Medal’s ribbon, while careful engraving and finishes replicates the medal’s design in meticulous detail.
- RARE COLLECTING OPPORTUNITY: Never before has the Sacrifice Medal appeared on a coin. It’s a deeply meaningful way of recognizing the courage and sacrifice made by the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces who were wounded by enemy action or died as a result of their service.
- LOW MINTAGE: Your coin has a low limited worldwide mintage of 5,500.
- INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. Most of these are serialized certifications, meaning that each certificate is given a unique number, starting at 1.
- 99.99% PURE SILVER! Your coin has no GST/HST.
Your coin presents a faithful reproduction of the Sacrifice Medal, with all of the details that carry the full weight of the symbolism from the original design. The real-life medal has a diameter of 36 millimetres; here, your coin’s 40 mm diameter allows for a partial view of the ribbon, which is ornamented with the Royal Crown (St. Edward’s Crown) to represent The Queen as Canada’s Head of State and Head of the armed forces. Selective colour re-creates the ribbon’s black central stripe that symbolizes mourning and grief; this is flanked by the red stripes that represent the blood spilled, while smaller white stripes speak of peace and hope for a better future.
On the medal itself, detailed engraving recreates the familiar representation of the cloaked statue “Canada” found at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France. With a downcast expression that personifies a nation’s sorrow for her fallen, the mournful figure faces right towards the flat horizon—itself a representation of the loneliness and isolation of mourning—while the word “SACRIFICE” looms just above it in the sky.
Your coin also features the engraved double date “1917-2017” to represent the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, while the obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
- Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is the only person who can create an official honour in Canada. One of the Governor General’s responsibilities is to present these honours on behalf of all Canadians.
- In the Canadian Honours System, the order of precedence dictates that the Sacrifice Medal takes precedence over all war and operational service medals. It is worn on the left breast, immediately after orders and decorations and suspended from its watered ribbon.
- The Sacrifice Medal replaced the wound stripe worn by those wounded prior to October 7, 2001. Also known as the wound strip, this honour was first authorized under the Canadian Army General Order of September 1, 1916, as a way of recognizing Canadian soldiers who had been injured in the line of duty. It was made retroactive to August 4, 1914 (the day Great Britain entered the First World War) and was worn by the wounded members of the Canadian Expeditionary Force—including those who fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.
- Engraved on the edge of each Medal is the service number, abbreviated rank, initials and surname of its military recipients, or the forename(s) and surname of its civilian recipients.
- Should an occasion warrant the awarding of an additional Sacrifice Medal, the recipient is instead presented with a bar with a single maple leaf in its centre which is worn on the ribbon of the original Medal.
- After the careful review and broadening of the original criteria, the first investiture ceremony was held at Rideau Hall on November 9, 2009. Then-Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean presented the first Sacrifice Medals to 46 recipients, including 21 posthumous presentations.
- To this date, the sole civilian recipient of the Sacrifice Medal is Dr. Glyn Raymond Berry, a Canadian diplomat who, in 2006, was travelling in a convoy in Afghanistan when it was ambushed by a suicide bomber.
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a black beauty box.
Specifications:
Item Number: 157648
Composition: 99.99% pure Silver
Mintage: 5,500
Weight (g): 31.83
Diameter (mm): 40
Face Value; $20
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
