The Royal Canadian Mint makes the holiday season pop with gift coin by artist Gary Taxali and other new collectibles

OTTAWA, Oct. 23, 2012 /CNW/ - The Royal Canadian Mint is putting a new spin on celebrating the holidays with the help of Canadian pop artist Gary Taxali, who is the creative force behind the special edition 25-cent coin featured in the 2012 Holiday Gift Set.  His trademark pop art style brings to life the magic of the holidays with a whimsical scene of Christmas tree ornaments which evoke retro cartoon design.  This special gift set, whose packaging features the equally iconic photography of contemporary artist Matt Barnes, is one of many exciting collectibles which celebrate and preserve the spirit of the holiday season.

"The Royal Canadian Mint is always looking for new ways to design coins which celebrate themes of importance to Canadians and the original creation of Gary Taxali has been a wonderful addition to our holiday collection," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.  "We are proud to be collaborating with Canada's contemporary artists to explore new design ideas which make our coins perennial stand outs."

The 2012 Holiday Gift Set features a special 25-cent collector coin designed by Gary Taxali packaged in the original artwork of photographer Matt Barnes.  It also includes a set of uncirculated 2012-dated circulation coins, as well as space to insert a personalized message and an envelope with which to immediately post a personalized holiday keepsake to a loved one.  This collectible is the final coin in the 2012 Gift Set collaboration between the artistic innovators whose combined talents gave the Mint's Birthday, Wedding, Baby, Canada Day Gift Sets and Tooth Fairy Gift Card a vibrant new look for 2012.

Also available in time for the holiday season are:

• a $20 fine silver, crystal-enhanced coin of children playing the Three Wisemen in a traditional Christmas pageant;
• a new $20 fine silver Holiday Snowflake with Crystal coin;
• a $20 fine silver Holiday Snowstorm crystal snowflake coin;
• a $10 fine silver painted Winter Scene coin; and
• a new 50-cent lenticular cupronickel coin depicting Santa's Magical Visit.

Mintages, pricing and full background information on each product can be found at the "Shop" tab of www.mint.ca.

The Mint is also pleased add to the celebration of the 2012 holiday season with a new $20 for $20 fine silver coin featuring a reindeer design by artist Virginia Boulay.  This coin is the sixth instalment in the Mint's hugely popular series of 99.99% pure silver coins sold at face value.  Like its predecessors, this collectible's 250,000 coin mintage is selling out quickly.

All of these products are available today, directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or online at www.mint.ca. The coins are also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

HOLIDAY GIFT SET CELEBRATION AT ONSITE @ OCAD GALLERY (TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 25, 2012)

Gary Taxali will be the guest of honour at an evening reception at Onsite @ OCAD Gallery in downtown Toronto on October 25, 2012, to mark the release of the 2012 Holiday Gift Set.

Details are available at http://apache.ocad.ca/events_calendar/eventdetail.php?id=4643.

Taxali's art books, "I Love You, Ok!" and "Mono Taxali", as well as a limited-edition print entitled "Coins" commemorating the 2012 Gift Sets, will also be available for purchase.  An image of the print can be viewed or purchased at (http://www.taxalionline.com/coins-limited-edition-print.html).

About Gary Taxali
Gary Taxali is an award-winning illustrator and fine artist - and one of Canada's foremost contemporary artists.  His portfolio includes work for clients such as Sony, Warner Brothers, Converse, Nintendo, Time magazine, Rolling Stone, GQ, Esquire, and The New York Times.  Gary is a member of the Stamp Advisory Committee to Canada Post.  Well known to Canadian media, Gary created the cover art and inside illustrations for Aimee Mann's album @#%&*! Smilers to earn a 2009 Grammy Award Nomination for Best Art Package. He has also written and illustrated his own children's book (This is Silly!) (published by Scholastic) and released two monographs this past year entitled   "I Love You, Ok?" (published by teNeues) and "Mono Taxali" (published by 27_9).  He has exhibited in many galleries in North America and Europe, including The Whitney Museum of American Art, Antonio Colombo Gallery, Steve Lazarides' Gallery, and The Andy Warhol Museum. His art slickly re-imagines 1930s pop art and iconography to evoke a nostalgic feel with a modern sensibility.  More information can be found at www.garytaxali.com.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit. www.mint.ca

Images and product details of the Mint's newest collection are available by visiting ftp://communications:[e-mail].

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint

For further information:

Alex Reeves
Senior Manager, Communications
Telephone: [phone]
[e-mail]