In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
Long SOLD OUT at the Royal Canadian Mint!
It's time to cowboy up and let your wild side show - as in, "Wild West". Cowboys are one of the most popular topics in American numismatics (and around the world, for that matter - few things speak as definitively of the American spirit as a cowboy!). Whenever we get Western themed coins in, they go back out quickly. Yet coins depicting cowboys are few and far between. That's why we're so excited about the new Calgary Stampede - Cowboy and Bucking Bronco Program from the Royal Canadian Mint! This extremely affordable set contains a crown sized color quarter as well as two full color postage stamps! Cowboys (and cowgirls!) of the world unite - this is the one for you! If you've ever wanted to own the spirit of the American Old West, here's your chance - but don't wait too long, we expect these gems to sell out at the Mint in record time! Git along, little dogies, indeed!
The Spirit of the Old West
This four coin program commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the first Calgary Stampede in grand style. There's something for everyone, from the casual collector to the true cowboy enthusiast to the serious investor. Each coin depicts a cowboy on a bucking bronco, with the exquisite detail and traditional styling for which the Royal Canadian Mint is known the world over.
This listing is for the Crown-Sized Color Quarter Coin & Stamps Set. Here's a package chock-full of goodies - and jam-packed with value! This affordable set includes a crown sized color quarter and two full color sheet with two mint condition postage stamps: a "permanent" forever rate first class domestic featuring a horse wearing classic Western riding gear and a leather saddle, and a $1.05 U.S.A.-rate showcasing the 2012 Calgary Stampede belt buck, the much prized trophy awarded to the Stampede winners! All are strikingly displayed inside a handsomely illustrated presentation folder. Whether intended as a gift for someone else or a reward for yourself, this set is sure to impress!
Finely crafted to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the world-famous Calgary Stampede, the color quarter, designed by Canadian artist Tony Bianco, highlights the drama and excitement of the Stampede’s saddle bronc riding event. In the foreground, a fearless saddle bronc rider and his high-spirited bucking bronco seem to soar above the sparkling city of Calgary among the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at the broad Bow River. The rider’s bright yellow shirt and orange bandanna glow beneath a black Western vest, the legs of his faded blue denims emerging from beneath worn brown chaps, and light tan cowboy boots sitting high on the muscled neck of the powerful white-and-tan bronco. The rider’s right hand clutches the simple braided rein as his left arm waves high above his white cowboy hat. The bronc’s white back legs, bent in tense preparation for its powerful kick, rise just above a finely engraved rendering of the Calgary skyline against the smooth, flowing backdrop of the Rockies.
For more on the Calgary Stampede, the world's largest rodeo and "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", please see the presentation at the end of this article.
Technology Note
The RCM leads the world with its proprietary colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the coin. The intricate detail, smooth gradients, and extreme precision of the technology create a stunning, full-color portrait on each coin.
The Specimen Finish
This coin features the uniquely-Canadian "specimen" finish, a three-fold combination of different finishes. The design (raised area or relief) includes both frosted and mirrored surfaces, while the fields (background) are subtly striated, resulting in a contrasting, matte appearance. No other mint in the world employs the specimen finish.
Obverse
A cowboy on a bucking bronco, in full color. Beneath is an engraving of the city of Calgary, set amidst the Rocky Mountains. The date and denomination are also indicated.
Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian Coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears.
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside an oversized, bilingual, full-color presentation folder, which includes images of the Calgary Stampede, as well as background information on the history of the Stampede. A mint condition sheet of two full-color postage stamps is included.
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
| Year of Issue | 2012 |
| Face Value | One
Dollar and 91 Cents (25¢ Coin + $.61 Stamp + $1.05 Stamp) |
| Weight | 13.70 g |
| Diameter | 35 mm |
| Finish | Specimen with Color |
| Composition | Copper Nickel |
| Edge | Plain |
| Artist | Tony Bianco |
The Greatest Outdoor Show on
Earth: Celebrating 100 Years of the Calgary Stampede
When the Calgary and District Agricultural Society held its first fair in 1886, organizers were thrilled that 500 of the area’s 2,000 residents came out to view the exhibitions and attractions. At the time, participants could not know that they were sharing in an event that would one day attract more than a million visitors to Calgary, Alberta each year.
From this small fair, the exhibition grew. In 1912, American Guy Weadick (formerly a trick roping performer in a Wild West show) came to Calgary to try to convince local investors to help him build an event that would authentically represent ranching and farming skills and pursuits. He succeeded in convincing four local cattlemen—Pat Burns, George Lane, A. J. MacLean, and A. E. Cross, later known as the “Big Four”—to invest approximately $100,000. The first Calgary Stampede in 1912 was a success, earning back more than the initial investment and attracting about 100,000 attendees and hundreds of performers and cowboys from across North America.
After various successes and setbacks over the decade that followed, Weadick ultimately merged his event with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition in 1923. This first combined event, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, transformed Calgary’s city core with street parties and merriment for six days and saw the introduction of the world’s first chuck wagon races.
With major discoveries of oil in the region in the late 1940s, the city’s growth skyrocketed: the population doubled between 1949 and 1956. In 1968, the event expanded to ten days. By the 1970s, more than a million visitors were passing through the venue’s gates each year. In the 1980s, the venue was expanded to accommodate the 1988 Winter Olympics and the world-famous Saddledome was born.
“And They’re Off!”
Throughout its century-long life, the Calgary Stampede has maintained Weadick’s original focus on Western heritage and the life and skills of ranch and farm. Horses and rodeo sport remain central pillars of the Stampede, which boasts the world’s premier outdoor rodeo facility, chuck wagon races with more than $1 million in prizes, and world-class agricultural attractions and competitions.
The Stampede’s love affair with horses is evident even from its opening parade which, in addition to marching bands and nearly 200 floats, features hundreds of horses. The core of the ten-day Stampede—the rodeo—pays out millions? of dollars in prizes to its competitors in saddle bronc and bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, tie-down roping, wild pony racing, novice bareback, junior steer riding, and novice saddle bronc.
The role of horses is so central to the Stampede that, in 1961, officials began to breed and raise Stampede livestock, including bucking horses and bulls, at the 22,000-acre Stampede Ranch in Hanna, Alberta—the first such ranch in North America.
The Calgary Stampede today is a world-renowned event and Canada’s highest-grossing festival. More than one-third of its visitors come from outside of Calgary—including many from the United States, Britain, Asia, and Australia—to witness the event that has, after one hundred years, earned well the name, “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.”
When the Calgary and District Agricultural Society held its first fair in 1886, organizers were thrilled that 500 of the area’s 2,000 residents came out to view the exhibitions and attractions. At the time, participants could not know that they were sharing in an event that would one day attract more than a million visitors to Calgary, Alberta each year.
From this small fair, the exhibition grew. In 1912, American Guy Weadick (formerly a trick roping performer in a Wild West show) came to Calgary to try to convince local investors to help him build an event that would authentically represent ranching and farming skills and pursuits. He succeeded in convincing four local cattlemen—Pat Burns, George Lane, A. J. MacLean, and A. E. Cross, later known as the “Big Four”—to invest approximately $100,000. The first Calgary Stampede in 1912 was a success, earning back more than the initial investment and attracting about 100,000 attendees and hundreds of performers and cowboys from across North America.
After various successes and setbacks over the decade that followed, Weadick ultimately merged his event with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition in 1923. This first combined event, the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, transformed Calgary’s city core with street parties and merriment for six days and saw the introduction of the world’s first chuck wagon races.
With major discoveries of oil in the region in the late 1940s, the city’s growth skyrocketed: the population doubled between 1949 and 1956. In 1968, the event expanded to ten days. By the 1970s, more than a million visitors were passing through the venue’s gates each year. In the 1980s, the venue was expanded to accommodate the 1988 Winter Olympics and the world-famous Saddledome was born.
“And They’re Off!”
Throughout its century-long life, the Calgary Stampede has maintained Weadick’s original focus on Western heritage and the life and skills of ranch and farm. Horses and rodeo sport remain central pillars of the Stampede, which boasts the world’s premier outdoor rodeo facility, chuck wagon races with more than $1 million in prizes, and world-class agricultural attractions and competitions.
The Stampede’s love affair with horses is evident even from its opening parade which, in addition to marching bands and nearly 200 floats, features hundreds of horses. The core of the ten-day Stampede—the rodeo—pays out millions? of dollars in prizes to its competitors in saddle bronc and bareback riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, barrel racing, tie-down roping, wild pony racing, novice bareback, junior steer riding, and novice saddle bronc.
The role of horses is so central to the Stampede that, in 1961, officials began to breed and raise Stampede livestock, including bucking horses and bulls, at the 22,000-acre Stampede Ranch in Hanna, Alberta—the first such ranch in North America.
The Calgary Stampede today is a world-renowned event and Canada’s highest-grossing festival. More than one-third of its visitors come from outside of Calgary—including many from the United States, Britain, Asia, and Australia—to witness the event that has, after one hundred years, earned well the name, “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.”
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