Royal Canadian Mint RCM On January 2, 1908, Governor General Earl Grey activated the press to strike the Dominion's first domestically produced coin, a fifty-cent piece. As an audience of dignitaries looked on, the Countess Grey closed the ceremony by striking Canada's first bronze cent. The Ottawa branch of Britain's Royal Mint was officially open for business. In 1931, the heritage building on Sussex Drive, the surrounding land and the entire minting enterprise passed into Canadian hands, making the Mint a wholly Canadian institution. The 1 oz RCM gold bars are 99.99% pure gold and universally recognized for their quality and purity. Each bar is stamped with a unique serial number and arrives in a tamper-proof plastic case which bears the assayer's signature, and proof of gold purity. Also engraved on each bar are the seal of the Royal Canadian Mint and the bar's weight and purity.