This coin was a Canadian first as well as a world first. Another first was the special packaging of the first day of production.
I was a Royal Canadian Mint masters club member at the time and here is a 'behind the scenes' story that was carefully disguised as advertising.[Almost threw it away without reading it.]
The tv cameras were rolling as the first coin came out of the inkjet printer, it was handed to the first person and the cameras were shut off. The ink started rubbing off right away, leaving their fingers red as well as their faces. They tried several different formulations of ink but could not find any that would be up to circulation. So they came up with the idea of using a clear coat over top of the ink. They hoped it would help the ink stick as well as provide a layer of protection. While not ideal it worked and they made a few final tweaks to the clear coat and released the first day coin with this statement.
In honour of all those who have served our country, the Royal Canadian Mint is proud to issue the Official First Day Poppy Coin. This collector's item is the world's first coloured coin in circulation, featuring an innovative fluorescent security coating and a red poppy stamped in pressurized ink. Specially packaged in this limited edition cover, this 25-cent piece was minted on the first day of production, July 15, 2004
This coating was used on all Canadian colored circulation quarters up to and including 2013.
