2000 Canada: 25 Cents Freedom - Millennium Series (November)
BU (Brilliant Uncirculated) Quality — Grade: MS-64 CHOICE +
Coin Description
This commemorative 25-cent coin was issued in November 2000 by the Royal Canadian Mint as part of the Millennium Series. Following the twelve coins of 1999 that celebrated Canada's past, the twelve coins of 2000 look to the future. The theme of this coin, "Freedom", symbolizes the fundamental human aspiration for liberty in all its forms.
The design is the work of artist Paul Gauthier (initials “PG”). It depicts stylized man and woman breaking chains and rising towards a rising sun. This powerful design evokes emancipation, liberation from constraints, and the hope of a better future.
The bilingual inscriptions “FREEDOM 2000 LIBERTÉ” surround the motif, with “CANADA” at the bottom. The message is universal and particularly resonant at the dawn of the third millennium.
With a mintage of 34,820,281 copies, this coin is now sought after by collectors of the Millennium series. The presented example, graded MS-64 Choice +, offers exceptional preservation with remarkable visual appeal.
The Obverse (Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II)
The obverse features the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by artist Arnold Machin. This portrait, known as the "young bust", shows the Queen wearing a circular diamond crown adorned with roses, shamrocks, and thistles, symbolizing the nations of the United Kingdom. The legend “ELIZABETH II D • G • REGINA” surrounds the royal bust, with the value “25 CENTS” at the bottom.
For an MS-64 Choice + grade, the original mint luster is brilliant, intense, and perfectly uniform across the entire surface. Contact marks are virtually absent to the naked eye; only microscopic imperfections may be detected under magnification, and nothing distracts the eye.
The Reverse (Freedom - Breaking Chains)
The reverse, designed by Paul Gauthier, depicts a scene symbolizing freedom. It shows a stylized man and woman, arms raised to the sky, breaking chains and rising towards a rising sun on the horizon. This powerful design evokes emancipation, liberation from constraints, and the hope of a better future.
The bilingual inscriptions “FREEDOM 2000 LIBERTÉ” surround the motif, with “CANADA” at the bottom. The artist's initials “PG” appear below the motif.
This universal message is particularly resonant as Canada and the world enter a new millennium, full of hope and freedom.
In MS-64 Choice +, all details of the design (figures, broken chains, sun) are perfectly sharp, with a full-rim strike. The "Choice +" quality indicates a coin that surpasses the average MS-64 in its harmonious balance and superior presentation.
Technical Specifications
Condition: MS-64 CHOICE +
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Luster: The original mint luster is brilliant, intense, and perfectly uniform over 100% of the surface.
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Surface: Contact marks are absent to the naked eye. At most, a tiny minor mark may be found under 10x magnification, but nothing significant. The fields are clear and without distraction.
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Strike: Perfectly centered and full strike with all design details (figures, broken chains, sun, inscriptions) exceptionally sharp.
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Visual Appeal: An MS-64 Choice + graded coin represents exceptional quality for this commemorative coin from the Millennium series.
