Numicanada.com

Diamètre : 39.00mm
Poids : 20.43g

onyx a écrit :Voici un lien : http://www.panoramio.com/photo/53606351

Here is the story of The Big Nickel Park, as documented in The Canadian Centennial Numismatic Park -- The Big Nickel Mine -- Sudbury Numismatics, Tokens, Medals, Paper Currency and Other Numismatic Items Issued in the Region of Sudbury, written by Jeff Fournier.

According to Fournier and other sources, The Big Nickel Park was the brainchild of local CPR police officer Ted Szilva, in response to a request from The Sudbury Star for readers to submit ideas to recognize Canada's Centennial year. Szilva came up with the idea of featuring the nickel as a tourist icon on signage throughout the city. Local artist Bruno Cavallo, suggested to Szilva that there could actually be a "Big Nickel." This led the way to Szilva's development of Sudbury's first numismatic (study of coins) park. In his book The Canadian Centennial Numismatic Park, Fournier describes Szilva's original concept of a penny, nickel, dime, dollar bill and other coins, which would eventually total 18 monuments. Plans also showed a model railroad around the park and various mining related structures. Fournier describes how Szilva and Cavallo formed the Nickel Monument Development Corporation Limited to move the project ahead. The original design and construction was left to Cavallo and his sign company. The park had its official opening in July 22, 1964. The Big Nickel cost $35,000, and the down payment for the land was $25. The penny was erected in 1965, and was named the Fantasy Copper, after a sponsorship from the Fantasy Copperware of Canada. John Diefenbaker, who was the official leader of the opposition, officiated the unveiling of the penny and stated that the monument was "the most impressive monument to our country I have seen in any part of Canada." Other dignitaries in attendance were Mayor Joe Fabbro, Liberal MPP Elmer Sopha and the Copper Cliff Highlanders.

Through the years, a half-scale replica of the lunar landing was added and on July 30, 1975, two large totem poles designed by Haida Indians of B.C., were erected. A wampum belt was added and this became the "Indian Wampum and Brotherhood of Man Monument." The belt symbolizing the four major races in the world.

When Science North purchased the park, it dismantled most of the monuments and sold them privately. For many years, the origins of the penny and dime remained a mystery. Unfortunately, like the penny of today, the Sudbury penny met a tragic slow demise.

According to a 2001 Sudbury Star article, written by Kennedy Gordon, the penny and dime were lost for a time and eventually purchased by Jim Wendler. According to Gordon, by the time Wendler purchased the coins, they had been stripped with only the metal frames remaining.

So, ends the tale of the Sudbury penny.

The park affords an excellent view of the Copper Cliff plants and
that perennial attraction for tourists and visitors, dumping the smelter slag, as well of course as the City of Sudbury, the bright new buildings of Laurentian University, and the lovely nearby lakes.

Already open on the location is a souvenir shop at which can be purchased the Sudbury nickel dollar", an attractive medallion one and one half inches wide, which has the Inco reduction works at Copper Cliff on one side and the Big Nickel on the other. The Sudbury "nickel dollar" sells for $1.25; this medallion can also be purchased in copper at $1.25, silver at $8.00, or gold at $175.00. A wide variety of other desirable souvenirs and gifts can also be obtained at the shop, many of them featuring small chunks of Sudbury district ore.

Yes, I can offer you some information on the Kennedy medallion. I was the person responsible for striking it in 1964. It was minted by Canadian Artistic Dies in Sherbrooke Québec. You can get the history of the Kennedy coin Memorial, which was built at The Big Nickel site in 1964...
...I made the medallions (Kennedy) with four types of metals: Copper , nickel, silver and gold. Copper and nickel medallions sold for three dollars each. The silver sold for $10, and the gold sold $125. Dollars. Whatever other information you want about them , just let me know. I sold thousands of the copper and nickel medallions all over the world. I sold less than a hundred silver ones and about in 10 gold. It also sold one platinum one. They were all 1 1/2 inches in diameter. If you have anymore questions let me know.
Sincerely,
Ted Szilva

onyx a écrit :Très intéressant, merci Jumpy !
Ça voudrait dire qu'il y a deux grandeurs de gros 5 cents (Big nickel) 38 mm et 51 mm.

Papou4 a écrit :IL existe aussi une pièce "BiG Nickel" en nickel d'un diamètre de 38 mm et d'un poid de 22 grammes.

Papou4 a écrit :J'ai 3 pièces de cette série; 2 en aluminium et une en nickel.
Les trois pièces ont le même diamètre (38 mm) et le même dessin (recto/verso).
La pièce en Nickel n'est pas la "railroad nickel" mais montre en effigie (revers)les 5 bâtiments avec cheminé centrale. Tout comme les pièces en aluminium.

Jumpy a écrit :