Why does the Royal Canadian Mint want us to collect coins?
I’m always seeing commercials from the Royal Canadian Mint urging Canadians to collect and keep coins (like the 2010 winter games quarters that are out right now). Coins that are collected are effectively taken out of circulation and never used as currency so I’m wondering what the Mint (or anyone else) stands to gain from doing this. There muct be a logical explanation, but I can’t figure it out. Since Canadian coins cost less than face value to produce, every one taken out of circulation means a profit for the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) and the Canadian government. They are also hoping that some of those new coin collectors will start buying some of the bewildering array of commemorative silver and gold coins that the RCM produces, which is where the real profit for the RCM is. The United States does the same thing with the state quarters and, now, the presidential series dollars. Mexico issued two complete “circulating” 32 coin sets of state coins with a face value of 100 pesos each,
