Description
This 2015 large and attractive $100 ten ounce pure silver proof coin marks the 100th anniversary of Canadian Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae writing his iconic poem “In Flanders Fields”. The design captures this occasion, and is also a high quality collectible with an extremely low mintage of just 500 coins. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, it is GST/HST Exempt.
The Design:
The reverse design by Canadian artist Tony Bianco features a detailed engraving that transports the viewer back to May 1915, back to the fields near Ypres. The author of the poem, Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, occupies the center of the reverse’s image field; identified as medical personnel by the cross shoulder patch on his uniform, McCrae is seated on a pile of rubble with pen and paper in hand. Surrounded by a sea of poppies blooming between the makeshift graves of fallen soldiers, McCrae begins to write “In Flanders Field”. Inscribed behind him is the first paragraph of the poem in both English and French.
The front is engraved with the word “CANADA,” the date “1915-2015”, and the denomination “100 dollars”. The back has a portrait of King George V, the reigning monarch during the First World War and at the time McCrae’s famous poem was written.
“In Flanders Fields”:
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae (a Canadian physician in World War I) was inspired to write the poem on May 3, 1915, after presiding over a funeral of a fellow soldier. His references to the red poppies growing over the graves of fallen soldiers resulted in the poppy being used as one of the world’s most recognizable symbols for Remembrance Day.
