Description
The Haida people of the Pacific Northwest are renowned for the distinctive visual language carved and painted to stunning effect on their artefacts. The Royal Canadian Mint proudly celebrates the artistry and legacy of one of the Haida’s greatest master carvers, Charles Edenshaw, with this 2016 unique large-format, high-denomination coin. Based on one of Edenshaw’s carved argillite boxes, this striking coin in 99.99% pure silver highlights a unique lion figure from an Edenshaw piece dating to 1882 and now held in the collection of the Museum of Vancouver. Mintage is limited to 100 coins.
The Design:
This 500-Dollar coin is 99.99% pure silver with a diameter of 180 millimetres and a metal weight of 5,000 grams. The reverse design features a detailed interpretation by Royal Canadian Mint engravers, in consultation with Haida artist James Hart, of the 1882 Charles Edenshaw argillite box commissioned by Dr. Israel Wood Powell. The image centres on the central figure of the box: a lion with human hair and a humanistic nose and chin. Two human-like hands flank the face, which is encircled as though emerging from a cave. The background features flowing and organic ovoids, u-forms, and other key Haida forms as well as detailed negative space cross-hatching—all characteristic of Edenshaw’s work.
