I am wondering why Canadian coins are encased with the King's or Queens head facing you and the nicer looking side with the northen lights, date, trees and canoe on the back of the slab. I have nothing against the King or Queen, but when ever I look at a Canadian Silver dollar, this is not the side I look at first. What a shame that coin graders are so stuck in their ways regarding the obverse and reverse side of a coin. Most of them do it this way, even the two grading companies here in Canada, although I have seen a few exceptions.
According to this link, the portrait side of a coin is the obverse: http://coins.about.com/od/worldcoins/qt/obversecointip.htm
I believe that you can make a special request on your submission form to have the reverse up on the label side of the slab. I know that this occurs with certain Morgan Dollars and I see no reason why it could not occur with Canadian Dollars. BTW, the folks that actually "slab" the coins are not the graders. Graders only grade them. The folks that slab them simply do what they are told about which side goes up.
You could probley ask to have the nicer side displayed but I doubt it would do any good. You know how MOST grading companies are. Explanation below. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The term anal-retentive (also anally retentive), commonly abbreviated to anal,[SUP][1][/SUP] is used conversationally to describe a person who pays such attention to detail that the obsession becomes an annoyance to others, and can be carried out to the detriment of the anal-retentive person. The term derives from Freudian psychoanalysis. People who are said to be anal-retentive usually suffer from obsessive–compulsive personality disorder[SUP][[/SUP]
By default the services holder coins obverse forward. Most if not all of them will holder them reverse forward if requested.
I know what you mean, the reverse dated side of these Canadian dollars are so much more the centerpiece to the series. Case in point for some of the commemorative pieces like the 67, 64, 58, and 35. Check out my avatar, the totem reverse is so much more striking than the queen sides. Nice coin by the way!
I feel the same way about all modern coins with either a dead president or a live king/queen on the obverse. Its a shame we have to cede and entire half of a coin for "precedent" or whatever. Give us back coins that have TWO interesting sides, and not limit us to just one. I really like the interesting reverse on British and all British commonwealth coins, I simply find myself not collecting them because I only get one half a coin when I buy one. I am not railing against Queen E., I hate US current US coins, and other world coins that have the same bland, uninteresting portrait style on the obverse. At least the US has an interesting nickel now. A question for our Canadian friends. Is there ever talk about why you have to have the Queen on the obverse of all your coins? At the very least I would think Quebec would be against it. Just wondering. Chris
Isn't the Queen is the offical head of State of Canada, or am I incorrect. Is has something to do with the Commenwealth of Nations. She is the Monarch of Canada along with some of the other former British Colonies. At least that is what I think remember from when I visisted the Parliment Building in Victoria, BC.
