2000 25-cent Creativity/October BU (MS-66) - GEM +

2000 Canada: 25 cents Creativity (Millennium Series)
Quality BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) — Grade: MS-66 GEM +

Coin Description

This commemorative 25-cent coin was issued in 2000 by the Royal Canadian Mint as part of the Millennium Series, an initiative that marked Canadian numismatic history. In April 1998, the Mint announced a national design competition open to all Canadians to create twenty-four 25-cent coins, one for each month of 1999 and 2000. The 1999 designs looked to Canada's past, while the 2000 designs looked to the future.

The "Creativity" coin represents October 2000. Its design, by artist Eric (Kong Tat) Hui from Vancouver, British Columbia, offers a glimpse into the arts across three millennia. It features an Inuit art boat on the left, a Group of Seven-style tree on the upper right, and a wireframe landscape on the right, symbolizing the evolution of artistic expression.

What makes this specimen exceptional is its MS-66 GEM + grade. For a circulation coin issued in over 35 million copies, achieving such a level of preservation is extremely rare. A GEM + grade means that this coin has survived without a single mark, with absolutely perfect luster, a full strike, and aesthetic qualities that place it in the top 0.01% of existing specimens.

The Obverse (Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II)

The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Canadian artist Dora de Pédery-Hunt. This is the first royal effigy designed by a Canadian artist, used on coins from 1990 to 2003. It depicts the Queen at 64 years old, wearing a circular diamond diadem adorned with roses, shamrocks, and thistles, symbolizing the nations of the United Kingdom. The Latin legend "ELIZABETH II D • G • REGINA" surrounds the royal bust, with the value "25 CENTS" at the bottom.

For an MS-66 GEM + grade, the original mint luster is dazzling, of remarkable intensity and perfectly uniform across the entire surface. Contact marks are totally absent to the naked eye, and even under 10x magnification, imperfections are so minor they are practically undetectable. The fields are exceptionally clear.

The Reverse (Creativity - Three Millennia of Art)

The reverse, designed by Eric (Kong Tat) Hui, illustrates the theme of creativity through three striking artistic representations:

• Left: an Inuit art boat, representing millennia-old indigenous traditions

• Upper right: a tree in the Group of Seven style, evoking 20th-century Canadian art

• Right: a landscape rendered in wireframe, symbolizing digital art and the future of creation

In MS-66 GEM +, all details of this complex design are stunningly sharp, with a full strike. The wireframe lines are perfectly defined, the contours of the Inuit boat are remarkably precise, and the Group of Seven tree is rendered with exceptional clarity.

Technical Specifications

Condition: MS-66 GEM +

• Luster: The original mint luster is dazzling, of remarkable intensity and perfectly uniform across 100% of the surface.

• Surface: Contact marks are totally absent to the naked eye. The fields are exceptionally clear, without any visual distraction.

• Strike: Perfectly centered and full strike with all design details (Inuit boat, Group of Seven tree, wireframe landscape) in absolutely perfect sharpness.

• Visual Appeal: An MS-66 GEM + grade coin represents the ultimate for this commemorative Millennium Series coin. It is an exceptionally rare piece of incomparable beauty, which will find its place in the most prestigious collections.