Description
Canada has had a long relationship with the maple leaf, since the beginning of the 18th century. It was when that the maple leaf was adopted by French Canadians who dwelled along the St. Lawrence River; it was described by the first mayor of Montreal as “the symbol of the Canadian people.” By the mid-1800s, it came to be included in the Coat of Arms of both Ontario and Quebec, and by 1921, was included in the federal Coat of Arms of Canada. In 1965, Canada’s flag was changed from the Canadian Red Ensign to the maple leaf flag we know today. Mintage is 7,500 coins. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
This $20 fine silver coin features a vivid green maple leaf, with a series of maple leaf clusters that celebrates Canada’s uniqueness. This coin is struck in one full ounce of 99.99% fine silver.
The Maple Leaf:
The idea of including the maple leaf on Canada's national flag took root with Lester B. Pearson in World War I, when he noted that every Canadian battalion had included some form of the maple leaf in its insignia. Fifty years later, in 1965, under his leadership as prime minister, Canada's famous red-and-white maple leaf flag was born.
In addition to the maple leaf's presence on various provincial flags and coats of arms, the country's coinage has featured maple leaves, wreaths, and boughs in various forms for most of Canada's history. In fact, the maple leaf was present on all Canadian coins from 1876 to 1901. Since that time, it has always appeared on Canadian pennies until 2012.
