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100 Dollars - Elizabeth II Discovery of Insulin
| Issuer | Royal Canadian Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 100 Dollars |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Right-facing crowned effigy of Queen Elizabeth II after the portrait by Dora de Pédery-Hunt, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, pearl drop earrings, and a pearl necklace. The legend ELIZABETH II is inscribed along the left periphery and D•G•REGINA along the right, with the date 1998 positioned in the lower field beneath the portrait. The high-relief bust is rendered in fine detail against a mirror-polished proof field. |
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| Edge | Serrated |
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| Additional information |
This coin commemorates the 1921 discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting and Charles Best at the University of Toronto — one of the most consequential medical breakthroughs of the twentieth century. Banting and Best sold the patent to the University of Toronto for one dollar each, deliberately refusing to profit from a discovery they believed should remain accessible to all patients.
The .583 fineness is notably lower than the Royal Canadian Mint's standard bullion gold issues, placing this squarely as a numismatic collector piece rather than a bullion vehicle.