This triangle-shaped silver half dollar proof features the Mint's patented color enamel technology!

This may be hard for some of our younger readers to believe (and hard for some of our older clients to remember, just joking!), but there was a time when most people did not go to the grocery store to purchase their milk (and no, they didn't drink straight from the udder, either)! That's right, in the good old days the dairy delivered straight to one's door! Many adults today have childhood memories of a uniformed milkman placing bottles of fresh milk and other dairy products on the front porch and collecting the empty bottles their mother had put out for exchange.

But there was something else the milkman collected - dairy tokens. From the late 19th century to the 1960's, customers could buy dairy tokens to "pay" for the milk or cream that was delivered.

Milk delivery tokens were used in nearly every state of the Union and all ten Canadian provinces. Many dairies had their own custom tokens, while others used generic ones. These tokens were valued at such quantities as ½ or 1 pint; 1, 2 or 3 quarts; or ½ or 1 gallon. In addition, they specified whether the token was for cream or milk, and for what kind (pasteurized, Jersey, skim, etc.).

Oftentimes, dairy tokens offered customers a price advantage for pre-ordering, but they also kept the milkman from the necessity of making change or carrying a lot of cash, so they were convenient for both the dairy and the client. Sometimes they would be canceled by the milkman or the dairy, usually by punching a hold through them.

Today, it's not the milkman, but rather hobbyists, who collect both canceled and uncanceled milk delivery dairy tokens. These are popular with exonumia collectors in general, and "good for" token collectors in particular, and also fans of unusually-shaped and/or colored numismatic items. Many others cherish dairy tokens for the nostalgia they preserve, including memories of a quieter, simpler time when the milkman came calling.

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Investment Note
In 2005 the Royal Canadian Mint introduced their enamel-effect technology on the red-enameled Canada Flag Silver Dollar. This coin sold out instantly at the mint (as have all subsequent enameled issues) and now trades for several multiples of its release price, having proven to be a great investment.

There's also the shape of this coin to consider. This is the very first triangular Canadian coin. As we have seen in the past, any first for the Royal Canadian mint usually means demand will be great and the coin will sell out quickly. What's more, odd- and unusually-shaped coins are very hot, including the previous Canadian releases. The 2006 Square Beaver $3 Silver Proof now trades in the $250 to $300 range, and the 2007 Chinese Square-Hole $8 Silver Proof is valued at about 2-½ times its release price. Taking all of these factors into account, the Milk Delivery Dairy Token Half Dollar Silver Proof seems like a sure winner!

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Technology Note
The Milk Delivery Dairy Token Half Dollar Silver Proof features the Royal Canadian Mint’s patented enamel effect technology. This proprietary technique applies deep, rich, semi-opaque colors to the coin, while the glaze over these hues creates the effect of real enamel. The green on this triangular coin replicates the color found on many of the original dairy tokens!

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Obverse
A milk bottle and a bust portrait of a dairy cow facing 1/2 right, in a circle of beads, all highlighted in beautiful green enamel color. The date and denomination are both indicated.

Reverse
A frosted cameo portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in profile facing right, surrounded by a circle of beads. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") and the Royal Canadian Mint mint mark also appear.

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Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and protected by a black outer sleeve. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Specifications