A Guelph-based artist says she is humbled her design honouring the one-hundredth anniversary of the end of World War I is being used in the latest two-dollar coin.
Laurie McGaw has so far designed 31 coins for the Royal Canadian Mint. Three of them are coins in circulation, with the rest being commemorative collector coins.
Her most recent designs are each featured on two coins commemorating the one-hundredth anniversary of the armistice — the end of World War I.
One of the two armistice coins McGaw designed is a two-dollar coin — more commonly called a toonie — that is going into general circulation.
The coin features a World War I-era ‘Brodie’ helmet and a prominent red poppy in the gold centre portion of the coin, with the word ARMISTICE printed across its face.
“To me, it’s an extreme honour because people from all across Canada will have it in their pockets,” said McGaw.
Two versions of that coin are being produced — one with the red colouring on the poppy and one without.
The artist also created two other general circulation coins, including a one dollar coin celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary of the women’s right to vote in Canada.
McGaw said designing the right to vote coin meant a lot to her.
“I have a daughter and thinking of women’s rights — it was an honour to work on that one,” she said.
In the armistice series, McGaw also created a second, slightly larger $10 fine silver commemorative coin, which features a war-weary solder laying down his arms. It was among the first designs she pitched for the armistice toonie, but was instead made into its own coin.
Photo references used to create Laurie McGaw's $10 silver armistice coin. Kenneth Armstrong/GuelphTodayThe helmet and poppy were a much simpler design better suited for the toonie, said McGaw.
“It’s a much simpler, stronger image,” she said.
McGaw spent many hours researching before drawing the initial designs for the coins.
“They wanted something respectful, something moving. I tried a lot of different things,” she said.
A friend of McGaw provided an authentic World War I uniform and she had a young man model it for her sketches.
“It’s such a small canvas to make a statement, because it’s so small,” she said of the complexities of fitting fine details on her coin designs.
McGaw said she doesn’t often come across her designs when out and about making transactions.
“I think with the women’s right to vote (coin) I received it once with my change,” she said. “It will be exciting if (the armistice) one comes up in the change, I will be happy about that.”
McGaw acknowledges the longevity of coins as an art form. Sometimes coins are found thousands of years after they were made.
“It’s fantastic to think of those surviving,” she said of her designs.
McGaw plans on purchasing a roll of 25 armistice toonies.
Beginning her career as an artist in 1978, McGaw has been making her living as an artist for 40 years, concentrating on portraiture.
“I have never done anything else to supplement my income, it has always been as an artist. I am quite proud of that,” she said.
She began by doing illustrations for newspapers, which led to book covers and illustrating entire books.
“All the while, I was doing portraiture. I call it my parallel career,” said McGaw.
For the last 10 years or so, McGaw said she has been concentrating on portraiture and coin designs.
McGaw also teaches classes in her downtown studio, which is located in a former horse stable behind Douglas Street.
“I really enjoy sharing what I have learned with people — young people, middle-aged people and older people — that are excited about portraiture,” said McGaw.
