Deep Space Nine next for Canada

Obverse and reverse of Canada’s innovative and highly detailed silver proof $20 that celebrates the 25th anniversary of “Deep Space Nine.” (Image courtesy & © Royal Canadian Mint)

Twenty-five years ago in 1993, “Deep Space Nine” (DS9) debuted on American television. To mark this year’s anniversary, the Royal Canadian Mint has produced a selectively colored 36.15 mm, 30.75 g, .9999 fine silver proof $20. It is by no means a conventional commemorative. It is a technological masterwork.

First up, both sides of the coin have been shaped to match the contours of DS9. But, unlike any other coin ever produced, new radical edge-shaping technology sees the engraved design continued from face to rim. That design has been engraved in intricate detail such that it resembles a schematic drawing of DS9. The overall effect is enhanced by the serration depth being 6.5 times deeper than standard.

Full-color images fill the obverse and reverse fields of the coin. These images present different views of the Bajoran system, including the swirling wormhole, as seen between the three sets of docking pylons set equidistantly around the station’s docking ring.

For those who have just come in, DS9 is classified by Starfleet as a “hybrid planar-columnar tri-radial structure.” It was originally named “Terok Nor” and situated in orbit around Bajor. It had been built by Cardassians using Bajoran slave labor in 2346 to serve as a mining and refinery station.

In the series’ pilot episode, the station is moved holus-bolus to a position at the mouth of the newly discovered wormhole. Here it is transformed into a joint Bajoran-Federation facility with considerable enhancement of its weapon systems. And, of course, it becomes the central focus for the rest of the series that ran through 1999.

All Trekkies need to be in quick. Mintage is just 4,500.