A $5-million modification program is under way at Sherritt Gordon Mines’ coin blank plating and processing facility at Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., in readiness to fulfil its recently signed contract with the Royal Canadian Mint to supply bronze coated nickel blanks to be minted into $1 coins.
The plant, located near Edmonton, will undergo extensive conversion, Allan H. Lee, Sherritt manager of coinage and rolling mill products tells The Northern Miner. About one-half of the existing plant, which is geared towards the nickel plating of steel, will be converted to the aureate bronze plating of nickel he says. Mr Lee adds that new equipment related to plating and finishing of nickel products will also be ordered.
The aureate nickel blanks will be manufactured by Sherritt from Canadian nickel materials purchased from Inco Ltd., with deliveries of the aureate-nickel blanks slated to begin in the first quarter of 1987.
The contract calls for supply of up to 600 million, or 4,200 tonnes of blanks, over a 42-month period.
The new 11-sided, $1 gold colored coin will be slightly larger than our 25 cents piece.
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