This set of three $15 fine silver coins marks the 125th anniversary of Franklin Carmichael’s birth.  As the youngest member of Canada’s famed Group of Seven, Franklin Carmichael (1890-1945) helped to define a new “Canadian” style of landscape art in the 1920s and ‘30s – one that conveyed a deep love for the natural beauty of the rugged Canadian landscape. This set honours this highly-respected artist with beautiful coins that faithfully reproduce three of Carmichael’s famed paintings.  The reverse of each coin features an engraved detail from one of three works by Carmichael. Mintage is limited to 7,000 sets. HST/GST exempt. 

The Design:

“The Upper Ottawa, near Mattawa” (c. 1921) :

A lone pine tree is the focal point of this recreation of Carmichael’s oil painting, while the Ottawa River fills much of the background behind it. 

“Cranberry Lake” (c. 1934):

Rolling hills tower over the diminutive size of the village by the lake, conveying the grandeur and openness of the landscape.

Landscape (c. 1925):

This depiction of a mountainous landscape features dark trees in the foreground contrasting with the lighter ones behind them, creating interesting layers and depth.   

Did You Know?
•   The Group of Seven initially included the following artists: Franklin Carmichael, Lawren Harris, A.Y. Jackson, Frank Johnston, Arthur Lismer, J.E.H. MacDonald and Frederick Varley.
•   Membership in the Group of Seven was actually extended to 10 artists: A.J. Casson, who regarded Carmichael as a mentor, joined in 1926; Edwin Holgate of Montreal joined in 1929, as did LeMoine FitzGerald (from Winnipeg) in 1932.
•   Carmichael used watercolour as prominently as oil paint, which set his works apart from those of the other Group of Seven artists.
•   He co-founded the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) in 1925, and in 1933, Carmichael was a founding member of the Canadian Group of Painters.