The classic of all Royal Canadian Mint collector coins is the series of silver dollars which has marked important events in Canadian history in each year since 1971. The new 2020 proof silver dollar marks the 75th anniversary of of V-E Day. After years of wartime sacrifices, the first opportunity to celebrate peace finally arrived on May 8th, 1945. News of the war’s end in Europe unleashed a wave of joy and relief that swept over both sides of the Atlantic, spilling into countries that Canada had helped liberate. People were cheering, some were standing numb, some were hugging, tears coming down their faces and people crying. The war was over! Mintage is limited to 25,000 pieces.

The design for the 2020 V-E Day silver dollar was in part inspired by the 1943-1945 “V” five cent coins which were issued for circulation during the war. On these coins the “V” represented both victory and the denomination for the coin. The “V” on this dollar coin is the symbol for Victory. The crowd is seen in a state of jubilation on the home front on May 8, 1945, a day when Canadians poured into streets and public places to celebrate Victory in Europe.

The spontaneous celebration gradually fades behind the “V” to become a scene of remembrance, with three silhouettes representing the different branches (navy, army and air force) of the Canadian and British Armed Forces in which Canadians and Newfoundlanders served. The obverse features the effigy of King George VI by T. H. Paget and a Victory privy mark.