Description
This 2018 $30 two ounce fine silver coin features an artistic image of a Great Horned Owl with a large format 50 mm diameter and has an extremely limited mintage of just 4,000. This fine silver coin takes on the traditional image of this nocturnal bird, by combining varying abstract patterns in a beautifully engraved celebration of life as art. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, this coin is HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
Inspired by a popular creative process known as Zentangle®, the reverse design by Jori van der Linde presents a stylized, artistic take on the traditional image of a great horned owl. The bird of prey’s familiar features are unmistakable, especially its piercing gaze, hooked beak and the shape of its ear-like tufts; but its layered plumage is transformed by an elaborate mix of repetitive abstract patterns that are each more intricate than the next. Every pattern is painstakingly brought to life by a complex mix of precision engraving and sophisticated frosting, with varying thickness of lines, shaded elements, and relief that add a sense of layered depth and contrast to the overall arrangement. The reverse also features the engraved face value “30 DOLLARS”, the year “2018” and the word “CANADA”. The obverse replicates one of the patterns seen on the reverse, and features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
