The Royal Canadian Mint
Constructed in 1905-1908 to house a branch of the British Royal Mint, this building was one of several designed in the late gothic style by the Department of Public Works in the first part of this century. The building combines the function of a mint (producing coins and medals) with that of a refinery for gold produced by Canadian mines. As a royal mint it also produced imperial gold sovereigns which were a basis of currency. The institution came under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada in 1931 and was re-named the Royal Canadian Mint.
From: Wikipedia
The Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint (RCM, French: Monnaie royale canadienne) produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The mint also designs and manufactures: collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum (1989–1999) bullion coins; customized medals, tokens, trade dollar watches, and, for a brief time, high end jewellery featuring coin designs. It further offers gold and silver refinery and assay services.
The RCM is a Crown corporation that operates under the legislative basis of the Royal Canadian Mint Act. All monies in Canada are technically issued with the authority of the Canadian monarch; however, all operations are overseen by the President and CEO, or Master of the Mint, who is the senior executive officer of the organization, reporting to a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister of Public Works and Government Services.
The RCM has been at the forefront of currency innovation. Among the mint's technical innovations are its plating process, which consists of a multi-ply technology that allows electromagnetic signatures to be embedded in the coins, assuring readability in the coin-processing industries. Another innovation was the world's first coloured circulation coin, the 2004 Remembrance Day 25¢ piece, with a red poppy on the reverse. Further innovation was achieved with the adaptation of the physical vapour deposition (PVD) technology to coat its dies, extending the life of the die beyond that of past chrome-coated dies.
In October 2008, the RCM was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in Maclean's newsmagazine. Also in 2008 Canada Post issued a postage stamp in honour of the mint.
Ottawa facility
For the first fifty years of Canadian coinage (cents meant to circulate in the Province of Canada were first struck in 1858), the coins were not struck in Canada. For the most part, they were struck at the Royal Mint in London, though some were struck at the private Heaton mint in Birmingham, England. With greater coinage needs, as well as Canada's emerging status as a nation in its own right, a need was seen for coinage to be struck within Canada. A branch of the Royal Mint was authorized to be built in Ottawa.
Established as the Ottawa branch of the Royal Mint, Governor General Lord Grey and Lady Grey activated the presses for the Canadian Mint on January 2, 1908. When the facility first opened, it had 61 employees. Three years later, the refinery opened, and in 1915 the mint chlorine method of gold refining was introduced. In its first years, both Canadian gold coins and British sovereigns were struck, but the disuse of gold as a coinage metal meant it was not until 1967 that gold coins were again struck.
The Ottawa facility on Sussex Drive passed from British into Canadian control in 1931, reporting to the Department of Finance. It was then renamed the Royal Canadian Mint. The mint struck medals for military and volunteer war service between 1945 and 1947 and began producing commemorative and collector coins during Canada's centennial in 1967.
In 1969 the Government of Canada reorganized the RCM as a Crown corporation. In 2006, the Royal Canadian Mint's new silver refinery was commissioned. Customers bringing their gold to Ottawa for refining now have the opportunity to have the silver refined too.
The last surviving member of the RCMs original staff was Owen Toller. He started in the RCM as a Junior Clerk and retired as an Administrative Officer. He retired after 45 years of service on January 6, 1953. At the age of 102 years, Mr. Toller died in November 1987.