Description
The Canadian Arctic is a place of beautiful extremes that are home to some of the world’s most unique and resilient creatures, including the mighty polar bear. This fine silver coin is the first to feature the Royal Canadian Mint’s latest innovation, Dimensional Paint, which creates the illusion of peering through real water to catch a 3D-like underwater view of Ursus maritimus, the “maritime bear.” Mintage is limited to just 3,000 coins. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
Engaging imagery, low mintage, technical innovation and two ounces of fine silver all combine to make this one of the most sought after new offerings from the Royal Canadian Mint. This 2018 $30 coin takes us to the floe edge in the Canadian Arctic, where a split view offers a glimpse of life above and beneath the sea ice. Above the water, an engraved polar bear cub steps to the edge of a gleaming iceberg and peers into the icy sea. The waterline forms the boundary between this silvery world and the colourful one beneath the surface, where a mother polar bear and her cub have plunged into Canada’s northern waters. The first-time use of Dimensional Paint adds a 3D-like effect to the icy underwater scene, where colour layers create the illusion of real water atop the coin’s surface.
The reverse includes the engraved words “CANADA 2018”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.