Canada 2009 London Tower Bridge Privy Mark $5 1 Oz Pure Silver Maple Leaf SML
This low mintage, privy mark SML (Europe-only release) commemorates London's legendary landmark! We are proud to bring you this low-mintage, specimen finish Silver Maple Leaf featuring a privy mark of London's Tower Bridge! The Tower Bridge is one of the prominent and outstanding landmarks of the great city of London, the largest city in the European Union, with a metropolitan area population of about 14 million! Read on to learn more about and view stunning pictures of this stately landmark. This is the 2nd release in the Europe-only "Great Landmarks and Monuments of Europe" Privy Mark Silver Maple Leaf Series.
This is no ordinary Silver Maple Leaf! This is a special edition, privy marked Silver Maple! It was issued in Europe only, and has the extremely low mintage limit of only 75,000! In 2010, the Royal Canadian Mint struck nearly 18 million standard edition silver maples, meaning that this coin has a production total of only 1/2 of 1%.
0040 that of the standard SML! Certainly, there are not enough to go around, but fortunately, we have secured a limited supply of this highly collectible, pure silver gem. Consider also that is it part of an ongoing series commemorating the Great Landmarks and Monuments of Europe! In the second half of the 19th century, increased commercial development in the East End of London led to a requirement for a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge.
A traditional fixed bridge could not be built because it would cut off access to the port facilities in the Pool of London, between London Bridge and the Tower of London. The Tower Bridge was the culmination of design discussions. Construction started in 1886 and took eight years. Two massive piers, containing over 70,000 tons of concrete, were sunk into the bed of the River Thames to support the construction. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways.
This was then clad in Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give the bridge an attractive appearance. The bridge was officially opened on 30 June 1894 by The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII), and his wife, The Princess of Wales (Alexandra of Denmark). The bridge's aesthetics are in the ornate Victorian Neo-Gothic style, which makes the bridge a distinctive landmark, and was intended to harmonize the bridge with the nearby Tower of London. It is truly a landmark.
Architectural historian Dan Cruickshank selected the bridge as one of his top four choices for the 2002 BBC television documentary series. London's Tower Bridge is still a busy and vital crossing of the Thames: it is crossed by over 40,000 people (motorists and pedestrians) every day!
The bridge is on the London Inner Ring Road, and is on the eastern boundary of the London congestion charge zone. The two side-spans are suspension bridges, each 270 feet (82 m) long, with the suspension rods anchored both at the abutments and through rods contained within the bridge's upper walkways. The pedestrian walkways are 143 feet (44 m) above the river at high tide!
The original raising mechanism was powered by pressurized water stored in six hydraulic accumulators. N 1974, the original operating mechanism was largely replaced by a new electro-hydraulic drive system. This is driven by modern hydraulic motors and gearing, using oil rather than water as the hydraulic fluid. Some of the original hydraulic machinery has been retained, although it is no longer in use. It is open to the public and forms the basis for the bridge's museum, which resides in the old engine rooms on the south side of the bridge. The museum includes the steam engines, two of the accumulators and one of the hydraulic engines that moved the bascules, along with other related artifacts. Tower Bridge is sometimes mistakenly referred to as London Bridge, which is actually the next bridge upstream. This investment-grade coin was released solely into the European market. Given the presence of a famous landmark of Great Britain on this coin, it is not likely many collectors in the European Union will be willing to give up their coins! Our offer for the London Tower Bridge Privy Mark SML therefore constitutes an unique opportunity-all SML collectors, all Privy Mark collectors, and all collectors of the Great Landmarks and Monuments of Europe Series need this coin, very few of which will make the journey across the Atlantic! Get yours now while you still can! The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. Since their introduction the Canadian Maple Leaf coins have been regarded as among the finest bullion coins in the world, owing in large part to their superb purity.This one ounce silver coin is 99.99% pure! This coin features the uniquely-Canadian "specimen" finish, a three-fold combination of different finishes.
The design (raised area or relief) includes both brilliant and mirrored surfaces, while the fields (background) are subtly striated, resulting in a contrasting, matte appearance. No other mint in the world employs the specimen finish. A highly-detailed depiction of a single maple leaf. To the left of the maple leaf's stem is a privy mark of the London Tower Bridge. The legends FINE SILVER 1 OZ and 9999 guarantee the weight and purity. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt.The date, denomination and the legend ELIZABETH II also appear. Obv: Stan Witten Rev: Susanna Blunt.
Archival Quality Mylar and Cardboard Holder. Coins removed from their mylar and cardboard holders are absolutely not returnable under any circumstances.