Description
This 2017 $3 proof fine silver coin presents one of our nation’s most poignant symbols of remembrance to mark the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge (April 9-12, 1917). The coin weighs just over one quarter ounce of pure silver, and is HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
The reverse design by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw features a frontal view of the iconic sculpture “Canada Bereft,” which is prominently featured at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in Vimy, France. An allegorical figure, she is Mother Canada—the powerful personification of a nation mourning her fallen sons. Mother Canada rests her chin on her hand and bears a sorrowful expression that is beautifully recreated with finely detailed engraving. The engraved figure is front and center as the main focus of the design; on the memorial, the limestone carving stands on the northeast edge of the monument platform, where she looks down at a ground-level tomb. The Vimy Memorial is recreated behind and to the left of the grieving sculpture. The Vimy Memorial is depicted further in the distance to provide a full sense of the stately grandeur of this Canadian site of remembrance overseas.
