Description
This beautiful 2012 $5 sterling silver coin includes an inlay of the rare metallic element niobium, which has been anodized to form a brilliant iridescent pink colour finish which surrounds the Pink Moon design. The mintage is limited to just 7,500.
In North America, the First Nations tribes that comprise the Algonquin people utilized the lunar cycle as a celestial calendar to track time. April is the month of new life. Its full moon is most commonly known as Pink Moon to reflect the fact that the springtime flower phlox is carpeting the ground with pink blooms.
The Design:
Designed by Canadian artist John Mantha, the reverse image centres around a cluster of three delicate pink phlox blossoming before a full moon. The flowers and night sky feature pink colouring selectively applied to the niobium insert to enhance the springtime theme. The moon is engraved to reveal in detail its cratered lunar surface and, along with the hearts of the phlox blooms, retains the coin’s silver colouring for striking contrast and beauty. The rich pink colour is achieved through the niobium component of the coin, which can be oxidized to achieve many different effects.
