Coin collectors clamour to claim first King Charles III coins
Winnipeggers were lining up outside the Royal Canadian Mint on Thursday to get their hands on the new Canadian currency bearing the effigy of King Charles III.
The king’s image replaces Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022. The King’s profile faces left, opposite the direction of his late mother on the coin. The description surrounding the King’s effigy is also different, changing from 'Regina,' meaning 'Queen' in Latin, to 'Rex,' meaning 'King.'
A line up of coin collectors stretched around the Mint Thursday morning, waiting for the doors to open for a coin exchange. Those who brought $3.40 to the Mint were able to receive a package containing a toonie, a loonie, quarter, dime and nickel.
A set of 2023 circulation Canadian coins featuring the effigy of King Charles III. Dec. 12, 2023. (Ted Raymond/CTV News Ottawa)
Donna Foster was among the Manitobans at the exchange. She said it was important for her to be among the first to get her hands on the coins.
“I've been coming to all the coin exchanges for a few years now,” said Foster. “My sister started my son off when he was young collecting coins, so I just decided to carry on the tradition of some excitement being among the first to have these coins.”
Gregory Puhacz was also at the Mint, grabbing a pack for a family member.
“I have a great-niece that's two years old,” he said. “I’ll put them away for her and there'll be no marks on him. So they’ll have more value when she gets to university.”
The Mint said a small number of King Charles III coins have already started circulating in Canada. Coins with Queen Elizabeth on them are still considered legal tender.
-With files from The Canadian Press and CTV’s Sissi De Flaviis
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Mayday!': New details emerge after Boeing plane makes emergency landing at Mirabel airport
New details suggest that there were communication issues between the pilots of a charter flight and the control tower at Montreal's Mirabel airport when a Boeing 737 made an emergency landing on Wednesday.
Cucumbers sold in Ontario, other provinces recalled over possible salmonella contamination
A U.S. company is recalling cucumbers sold in Ontario and other Canadian provinces due to possible salmonella contamination.
Latest updates: Tracking RSV, influenza, COVID-19 in Canada
As the country heads into the worst time of year for respiratory infections, the Canadian respiratory virus surveillance report tracks how prevalent certain viruses are each week and how the trends are changing week to week.
Weekend weather: Parts of Canada could see up to 50 centimetres of snow, wind chills of -40
Winter is less than a month away, but parts of Canada are already projected to see winter-like weather.
W5 Investigates A 'ticking time bomb': Inside Syria's toughest prison holding accused high-ranking ISIS members
In the last of a three-part investigation, W5's Avery Haines was given rare access to a Syrian prison, where thousands of accused high-ranking ISIS members are being held.
Federal government posts $13B deficit in first half of the fiscal year
The Finance Department says the federal deficit was $13 billion between April and September.
Armed men in speedboats make off with women and children when a migrants' dinghy deflates off Libya
Armed men in two speedboats took off with women and children after a rubber dinghy carrying some 112 migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea started deflating off Libya's coast, a humanitarian aid group said Friday.
Nick Cannon says he's seeking help for narcissistic personality disorder
Nick Cannon has spoken out about his recent diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, saying 'I need help.'
LGBTQ2S+ Africans look to Canada for help as anti-gay laws expand
Countries that already have laws barring gay sex are increasingly making it a criminal offence to even identify as a gender and sexual minority. The Canadian Press investigates how these trends are playing out in countries where Canada has strong ties.