100 years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

So here we have the Canadian cents, nominal - 25. The year of issue of this coin is 1973, mint: Ottawa, Canada. Total circulation – 135.958.589. Dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Founded in 1873, it was originally called the North West Mounted Rifles, but the reaction of the United States to the idea of an armed force patrolling the border caused the name to be changed to the North West Mounted Police. The force’s first installation was Fort McLeod, in the province of Alberta, and it was the only authority for 300,000 square miles (800,000 square km) of wilderness.

The original force of 300 men was sent to deal with traders from the United States who were creating havoc among the Indians by trading cheap whiskey for buffalo hides.

As the only authority in the region, the force assumed a wide variety of duties. Under its surveillance, the western extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885. Anticipating the gold rush of 1898, the Mounties preceded the first wave of prospectors to the Yukon. As more than 300,000 settlers poured into Canada after the turn of the 20th century, the Mounties were of considerable assistance to those inexperienced in wilderness survival.

In 1904 the prefix “Royal” was added to their name, and in 1920, when it became a federal force throughout Canada, the present name was adopted, and the headquarters were moved from Regina to Ottawa.