Royal Canadian Mint Silver Coin Celebrates 50th Anniversary of Plastic Ono Band's Give Peace A Chance

Montreal, Quebec,May 23, 2019– In 1969, Plastic Ono Band (John Lennon and Yoko Ono) recorded Give Peace A Chance, an anti-war anthem for generations of pacifists and music fans around the world. The song was recorded live from Lennon and Ono's Queen Elizabeth Hotel suite in downtown Montreal, where John and Yoko were holding their famous "Bed-in for Peace" protest. Fifty years later, the Mint has captured that special moment in Canadian and music history with a pure silver coin celebrating Lennon and Ono's artistic talent and social activism, in a deal brokered by Epic Rights, the global licensing agent for John Lennon.

"For generations of Canadians, the music and lyrics of John Lennon and Yoko Ono have been a source of pleasure and inspiration," said Marie Lemay, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "We are delighted to have crafted a coin celebrating Canada's special connection to John and Yoko, and their lasting message of peace." 

"For the 50th anniversary of the Bed-in for Peace, we are honoured that the Royal Canadian Mint is paying tribute to a marking moment in our hotel and our city's history by issuing a commemorative coin," mentions David Connor, Regional Vice-President and General Manager, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. "We hope that it will help promote greater awareness about John and Yoko's message of peace which still has strong resonance and importance today."

The reverse design of this 99.99% pure silver coin features a rendering of Ivor Sharp's famous black and white photograph of John and Yoko at their "Bed-In for Peace," held in Montreal in the late spring of 1969. Dressed in pyjamas and both holding roses, they sit on a bed, with handmade peace posters hanging behind them. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Limited to a world-wide mintage of 9,999 the coin retails for $99.99 CAD. Full background information on this coin can be found on the "Shop" tab of www.mint.ca. 

Coin images are available at: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qe24k8kmridut9l/AAA6y1sSwhLSvM849E2IXhHla?dl=0

This product can be ordered directly from the Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the Mint's web site. The coin is also available at the Royal Canadian Mint's boutiques in Ottawa and Winnipeg, as well as through our global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.

About the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. 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.

About Epic Rights

Epic Rights is a leading music industry retail branding, merchandising and concert artist services company representing many top artists. Epic Rights provides a broad scope of services, including retail branding and licensing, official artist's website and social media management, official concert artists online shops, VIP ticketing, official fan communities and trademark registration consultation. Epic Rights is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit: www.epicrights.com.

For more information, please contact:

Alex Reeves
Senior Manager, Public Affairs
Tel: (613) 884-6370
reeves@mint.ca