BEE BULLETINS

The Royal Canadian Mint has announced that its new limited edition coin celebrating honey bees is now 81% sold!

The coin contains 1/4 troy ounce (7.96 g) of fine silver (99.99% pure) and is considered Canadian non-circulating legal tender. The coin is proof quality with a frosted image, mirror field, and colourized honey bee on a flower. The coin has a face value of $3 and a current silver value of $7 (CDN). Limited to a mintage of 10000, the price of this coin reflects its collectable value and it is available for purchase directly from the mint for $69.95 plus shipping. These coins are also available at Canada Post outlets where you can pick them up and avoid shipping charges.

If you sleep and miss this opportunity, or if you deem the issue price a tad steep, there are numerous other “bee coins” that can be found for prices ranging from pocket change to tens of thousands of dollars.

Some of the earliest “bee coins” come from the Greek city of Ephesus. These were minted in bronze and silver as far back as 600 BC. The most highly prized of these coins are silver tetradrachms.

Modern coins featuring honey bees can be obtained by contacting friends and relatives at distant corners of the world, or purchased at your local coin shop. Coincidentally, these four coins altogether cost less than $3:

Country: Italy
Date: 1924
Denomination: 10 Centesimi
Composition: Bronze
Diameter: 22.5 mm
Thickness: 1.9 mm
Weight: 5.4 g



Country: Italy
Date: 1954
Denomination: 2 Lire
Composition: Aluminum
Diameter: 18.3 mm
Thickness: 1 mm
Weight: 0.8 g

Country: Norway
Date: 1963
Denomination: 10 Øre
Composition: Copper-Nickel
Diameter: 15 mm
Thickness: 1.2 mm
Weight: 1.5 g



Country: Slovenia
Date: 1996
Denomination: 50 Stotinov
Composition: Aluminum
Diameter: 19.9 mm
Thickness: 1.3 mm
Weight: 0.85 g


Bee coins make great gifts and keepsakes for and from beekeepers. The beecoins.com website describes how you can start your own collection of bee-you-tiful coins from around the world.

Updates:
2013.05.25 – RCM reports Animal Architects: Bee & Hive coin 86% sold.

Join us at the Canadian National Exhibition, August 19 to September 5, 2011!

Yesterday was press day at the Ex, so the Szabo Queens team, led by Tibor P  Szabo, put on a show for the media that gathered in front of the Press Building.

In a tent, a queen bee in a cage was tied to Tibor’s chin and worker bees were shaken onto his chest.

The bees crawled up to surround their queen and form a beard on Tibor’s face.

Tibor emerged from the tent with a full face of clustering honey bees.

He then fielded questions from the many reporters, discussed the benefits of local Canadian honey, and posed for photographs.

Today, the Szabo Queens team is setting up the display which will be our biggest and best exhibit since we began promoting honey bees at the CNE six years ago. Please visit us to learn about bees and bee products and support Ontario honey producers!

Daniel Szabo and Tibor P Szabo


Francisco Rey with the queen bee.


Get ready, get set, go to the Ex!

A great video by Lana:

Find more on this YouTube channel.

Tibor P Szabo spent Saturday afternoon at Clovermead Bees & Honey, near Aylmer (ON), where he took part in their Annual Bee-Beard Competition. He won the “Crowd Pleaser” award, but lost the judging for bee weight and beard form to Albert de Vries of St. Thomas, Ontario. Tibor’s beard weighed in at 4.5 lbs, while Albert’s beard weighed 5.0 lbs. Find out more about the competition here.

Run by the Hiemstra family, Clovermead offers an Adventure Farm, Settlement with Heritage Buildings, Honey Gift Shop, and Apiary Tours. If you are passing by the London/Woodstock Ontario area in the summertime, you will want to follow the signs on the 401 and head to Clovermead to find out what’s buzzing!

Here are some photos from the competition:

Sign reads “Bee Beard Huts: The site of our annual bee beard competition. Each hut will be screened and contain a hive of bees and two beekeepers. To feel the itch and see the close shave you need to bee here.”

The Elgin Oxford Middlesex Beekeepers Club and Bee Beard Champion Trophy

Chris Hiemstra (left) introduces and weighs the contestants.

Tibor in his tent starting a smoker.

Tibor’s groomer attaches the caged queen bee to his chin.

The bees are shaken onto newspaper.

The bees are gently scooped and dumped onto the Tibor’s chest.

The bees are encouraged to walk up the Tibor’s chest and form a beard. Tibor’s neice oversees from the other side of the screened hut.

Tibor is ready to make his way back to the stage for judging.

On the way he stops to give out hugs.

Tibor makes it to the stage…

…and greets his fellow contestants.

After all contestants are re-weighed and march up and down the catwalk, Albert de Vries is announced the Champion!

Tibor is awarded the Crowd Pleaser plaque!

Albert de Vries with his trophy.

After the judging the contestants pose for photos with spectators.

…and all go about enjoying Clovermead!