Description
This 2019 $3 fine silver coin features the magic of our northern skies. It appears as a faint ribbon of colour in the night. Slowly, it strengthens and expands before bending and arching its way across the cloudless sky, like a dancing pathway to another world. The aurora borealis—or Northern Lights—is one of nature’s most wondrous light shows. And Canada offers a front-row seat to this curtain of glowing colours, which lights up our skies and our spirits during the colder months of the year. This Mintage is limited to only 4,000. GST/HST exempt.
The Design:
The reverse design by Steve Hepburn captures the wonder of seeing the aurora borealis in Canada. In the foreground, a young boy sits on his father’s shoulders as they look up at the night sky, where the glowing green bands of the Aurora Borealis dance above the towering evergreens. The image is framed by stylized icons that represent popular outdoor activities and sights in Canada: (clockwise from top) Niagara Falls Winter Lights; Christmas tree; rodeo; wine tasting; dogsledding; folk music; cherry blossoms; maple syrup tasting; whale watching; tulips; coastal drive; and the Aurora Borealis. The obverse features the year “2019” and face value “3 DOLLARS”, and the framed effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
About the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights):
The best time to see the Aurora Borealis in Canada is between October and April. Northern Canada is ideally located in the auroral zone, where the phenomenon typically occurs. But when the conditions are right, the aurora borealis can be viewed in other locations across Canada — make sure you have clear night skies and minimal light pollution to get the best view. The Aurora Borealis occurs when charged particles from the sun, guided by the Earth’s magnetic field, collide with atoms in the Earth’s atmosphere. Different atoms emit light of different colours, giving the aurora its distinct green, red, and purple appearance.
