People throughout Canada experience spring differently. In the north, there is little to differentiate it. On the prairies and in the Canadian Rockies, spring is more distinctive but may come relatively late, while it comes early on the coasts. Nevertheless, the Royal Canadian Mint has released Canada collectable coins that identify and celebrate some of the most iconic signs of spring.
Maple Leaves
The maple tree has been a symbol of Canada recognized around the world for decades. Many Royal Canadian Mint coins depict maple leaves in one form or another. You may think first of the deep crimson of autumn maple leaves, but that stunning display could never come to pass without the new, green maple leaves that appear in spring.
In 2014, the RCM released a coin providing a unique perspective on the verdant glory of new maple leaves in spring. Called Maple Canopy-Spring Splendour, it depicts a view of the maple tree and its green leaves, which are coloured on the coin, from the ground looking up into the branches.
Tulips
Tulips are amongst the first flowers to bloom in spring and signal that winter is coming to an end even when, as sometimes happens, they come up out of the snow.
One of the best places in Canada to see tulips is in the capital city of Ottawa, which also holds the world’s largest tulip festival in the spring. After World War II, the queen of Holland gifted 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada as a thank-you present for providing a haven from the Nazis for her daughter and granddaughters.
When the weather warms in the spring, insects become active again, including the ladybug. The ladybug and the tulip form a mutually beneficial symbiosis: The ladybug eats pests that would harm the tulips, while the tulip provides the ladybug with shelter from predators. The 2011 Canada Tulip coin includes a tiny ladybug made of Venetian glass which gives a three-dimensional aspect to the coin.
Return of Migratory Birds
When the weather in Canada turns colder, many bird species migrate south where food is more plentiful. They return as the weather warms in the spring. One of the most iconic of these birds is the American Robin, recognizable by its sweet songs and brightly coloured breast feathers.
The American Robin was named after a bird in Britain that has similar colouration of its feathers. However, the two species are not related. In 2013, the RCM released a full-colour portrait of an American Robin on the back of a coin as part of its Birds of Canada series.
Fishing
Fishing in Canada can take place at any time of year, but it is only when the weather warms in spring and summer that Canadian fishers, and visitors from other countries, can sit on the dock in their shirtsleeves to fish. That is what is happening in the image on the reverse of the 2013 Canada Fishing coin.
Fishing in spring can be a quiet, contemplative activity, one that families often share together and pass down from generation to generation. The fishing coin depicts the bond between a father and his child whom he is teaching to fish as their small dog sits on the dock beside them.
Camping
As so much new life bursts forth in spring, many people want to get closer to nature. Camping is a good way to do this. A campfire is a way to cook food and keep warm after the sun goes down, and something about it brings people closer together as they share stories and sing songs. In 2017, the RCM released a coin depicting people around the campfire as part of its Great Canadian Outdoors series. The full-colour image glows in the dark.
Collectable Coins Canada Celebrate Spring
As Canadians, we are fortunate to experience the beauty of all four seasons, and spring is no exception. These coins celebrate many things that make spring in Canada so special. Shop for more Royal Canadian Mint products at Colonial Acres.