Description
This 2015 $10 set of 4 coin set explores the diversity and beauty of Canada's forests. With permafrost in the north, deserts to the south, and an ever-changing geography from coast to coast, Canada is home to an amazing array of forests, each with its own distinct flora and fauna. Mintage is 8,000 coins. HST/GST exempt.
The Designs:
Boreal Balsam Poplar:
Designed by Canadian artist Margaret Best, your coin features the mountainous western reach of the boreal forest with a Balsam Poplar in the foreground growing in its preferred habitat—an open space near water. Only a single branch is visible in this design, and it is beautifully crafted in colour to highlight thetextural qualities of the tree's bark, its emerging springtime buds and the delicate colouration of its red catkins. These drooping, cylinder-shapedflower clusters are designed for cross-pollination. Male flowers are red while female flowers are yellow, much larger, and grow on separate trees.
Columbian Yew Tree:
Canadian artist Julius Csotonyi has created a stunning reverse design that celebrates the beauty of the Columbian forest by portraying one of its most captivating trees; the western yew. The design’s foreground features a gently sloping twig that has been painstakingly enhanced in colour to immediately draw the eye to its ruby red fruit and slender, vibrant green needles. In the background, massive tree trunks and lush growth fill the remainder of the design.
Coast Shore Pine:
Designed by Canadian artist Margaret Best, your coin features the Coast Forest’s distinct intersection of ocean, mountains and forest with a detail ofthe Shore Pine, just one of many captivating tree species found in this unique forest. The Shore Pine’s features have been beautifully crafted in colour to highlight the deeply textured surface of the cones and the long, slender and twisted needles that cover the branch. The large cone in the foreground has partially opened to disperse seeds whiletwo more closed seed cones (female) can be seen onthe branch immediately behind it. At the tip of the branch, smaller, pollen (male) cones can be seen among the needles. In the background, two logs lie on the edge of a rocky shore. One can see across thewater to the other bank where dense forest fills every available space and mountains linger in the distance.
Carolinian Tulip Tree:
Canadian artist Julius Csotonyi has created a stunning design that celebrates the tulip-tree beauty of the Carolinian forest by portraying one of its most captivating residents, the tulip-tree. The coin's foreground is dominated by a springtime bloom that has been painstakingly enhanced in colour to showcase its yellow-green petals with red-orange stripes and unusual forked leaves. In the background, tulip-trees tower above to form the forest canopy and provide a sense of scale for this floral star of the Carolinian forest.
