Canada's "Big Coin" series, of which this is a part, originated as a promotional stunt for the 2004 Olympics before the Royal Canadian Mint recognized the collector market and formalized the format into annual issues. The one-kilogram, 120mm specification was chosen specifically to be the largest, heaviest, and purest gold coin the Mint could produce while remaining technically legal tender — an audacious claim given that no retailer would ever see one across a counter.
The 2017 Lunar issue coincides with Canada's sesquicentennial year, though the Mint kept those two programs entirely separate rather than conflating them.
Canada's "Big Coin" series, of which this is a part, originated as a promotional stunt for the 2004 Olympics before the Royal Canadian Mint recognized the collector market and formalized the format into annual issues. The one-kilogram, 120mm specification was chosen specifically to be the largest, heaviest, and purest gold coin the Mint could produce while remaining technically legal tender — an audacious claim given that no retailer would ever see one across a counter.
The 2017 Lunar issue coincides with Canada's sesquicentennial year, though the Mint kept those two programs entirely separate rather than conflating them.