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Canadian mint producing silver coin commemorating 50th anniversary of John Lennon’s “Give Peace a Chance”

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Epic Rights/Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is commemorating the 50th anniversary of the recording of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s classic peace anthem “Give Peace a Chance” by issuing a $20 pure silver coin featuring a photo of the couple on one side.

“Give Peace a Chance” was recorded on June 1, 1969, during Lennon and Ono’s famous “Bed-In for Peace” protest event at Montreal’s Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel, which ran from May 26 to June 2 of that year. The Montreal Bed-In followed a similar event that the couple hosted in March 1969 at the Hilton Amsterdam a few days after they got married.

One side of the commemorative coin features a famous photo of John and Yoko taken by Ivor Sharp during the Bed-In that shows the couple dressed in white pajamas, each of them holding a flower. The other side of the coin boasts an image of Queen Elizabeth II. The coin retails for 99.99 Canadian dollars, or about $74, and can be purchased at Mint.ca or by 1-800-268-6468 in the U.S. and 1-800-267-1871 in Canada.

“We are delighted to have crafted a coin celebrating Canada’s special connection to John and Yoko, and their lasting message of peace,” says Royal Canadian Mint president Marie Lemay.

In related news, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Lennon and Ono’s Bed-In with a series of special events starting Saturday, May 25. Among them will be an exhibition opening Saturday in the hotel’s lobby featuring photos from the event and testimonials from guests who stayed at the hotel at the time, and a 50th anniversary concert on May 30 held at the Espace C2 on the hotel’s top floor. Visit Fairmont.com for a full schedule.

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