The design for a new $1 commemorative coin celebrating the life and artistic legacy of jazz master Oscar Peterson has been unveiled. The gold Loonie with purple accents was unveiled on Thursday in front of Peterson’s family and friends at Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall.
A national treasure.
Today, we honour Oscar Peterson with this commemorative circulation coin—a quiet celebration for a Canadian change-maker who had a loud and echoing influence.
Discover more: https://t.co/jdqt3wqol1 | #CelebratingOscar pic.twitter.com/Mg2JxgueON
— Royal Canadian Mint (@CanadianMint) August 11, 2022
Peterson, who was born in Montreal in 1925, was known best for being a prodigy virtuoso on the piano. As a musician he released over 200 recordings throughout his career. Some of his most famous musical collaborations include the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, and Dizzy Gillespie.
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Widely considered to be the greatest jazz pianist to ever live, Peterson won seven Grammy Awards, as well as a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2002.
“The Mint is passionate about celebrating stories of exceptional Canadians on its coins and I am delighted that Oscar Peterson, the first Canadian musician to appear on a circulation coin, is being celebrated as one of the world’s most respected and influential jazz artists of all time,” said Marie Lemay, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint in a press release.
The Canadian Mint’s announcement is the latest in a series of national tributes for the late artist who was the subject of a Heritage Minute just last year.
Other tributes include a large mural of the pianist that was painted in the Sud-Ouest region of his hometown of Montreal back in 2011. A statue of Peterson was also unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa in June 2010.
The new Peterson coin will begin circulating on August 15, to coincide with what would have been his 97th birthday.
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