Amazing Colours of Canada Featured on a Single Silver Coin
Canada is a vast country filled with diverse landscapes and a wide array of wildlife. With help from a Montreal-based tattoo artist, the Royal Canadian Mint has released a new commemorative Canadian coin silver that seeks to show harmony in diversity through a collage that makes use of colour-over-engraving to showcase the many regions and landmarks of Canada at their most vibrant.
The Design Behind the $50 Canadian Collage Silver Coin
In the background of the coin’s reverse image are a number of engraved maple leaves swirling around as if caught in the breeze. Maple leaves are an iconic symbol of Canada, so much so that one proudly graces the Canadian flag. In the foreground is a large maple leaf that contains within it a collage of colourful images representing some of the places and things that make Canada unique.
Specific landmarks depicted on the coin include Niagara Falls, Prince Edward Island’s red cliffs, and the Canadian Rockies. Other images are less specific but just as emblematic of Canada. For example, the coin shows a quiet lake with native wildflowers growing along its banks. The particular lake is not identified, but Canada has more lakes for its land area than any other country in the world, so the association is clear. Other examples of emblematic Canadian scenes in the collage include an autumn forest, wheat fields in the Prairie provinces, and glaciers in the Arctic.
At the top of the collage, the aurora borealis, more commonly known as “Northern Lights,” is evident overarching the Arctic glaciers and the Canadian Rockies particularly. An effect of geomagnetic activity, aurora borealis is most visible in the northern part of Canada from September to April. In particular, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, is known as a prime Canadian viewing destination. The aurora borealis isn’t unique to Canada, of course — it is visible in northern latitudes around the world — but there is a strong association between Canada and the Northern Lights in the imagination of people around the world.
Every Canadian ecosystem includes wildlife that plays important roles in its survival. The collage depicts wild animals as well. Not just any wild animals, however; it specifically includes the four animals depicted on the back of Canadian coins released for circulation, depicting them not only in colour but in their natural habitat:
Depicted in vibrant colours, these animals help to show the rich biodiversity that makes Canada so special. The reverse of the coin also bears the artist’s initials, the text “CANADA 2022,” and the face value of 50 dollars.
Who Is the Artist?
The artist behind the reverse image is Caitlin Lindstrom-Milne. A graduate of Dawson College, Lindstrom-Milne is a Montreal-based tattoo artist. She first submitted a coin design in 2019. This is the fourth design she has submitted to the Royal Canadian Mint that has ended up on the back of Canadian coins. The most recent prior to the Canadian Collage was the 2021 Remembrance Day coin, which was significant to Lindstrom-Milne because she had a grandfather who fought in the war.
In describing her concept for the Canadian Collage design, Lindstrom-Milne described maintaining a balance of warm and cool colours to represent unity and harmony among the different Canadian landscapes while ensuring that each was instantly recognizable.
Act Soon To Purchase This Remarkable Silver Coin From the Royal Canadian Mint
This commemorative coin is one that all Canadians can appreciate, yet the mintage of the design was only 3,000 coins. Only a few people will be able to own this Canadian silver coin and be able to study its colour and design closely. Such a beautiful expression of Canadian pride will not be available for long, so don’t wait to place your order.