Fall's in bloom on two new coins from Canada

By Jeff Starck

Published: Oct 27, 2016, 5 AM

Canada captures the colors of autumn with two new collector coins, including this 2016 Proof .9999 fine silver $20 piece, left, and a low mintage 2017 Proof .9999 fine gold $250 coin, right.

Coin images courtesy of the Royal Canadian Mint.

The vibrant colors of autumn are visible on two new limited-mintage commemorative coins from the Royal Canadian Mint.

The RCM has issued a Proof 2016 .9999 fine silver $20 coin and a Proof 2017 .9999 fine gold $250 coin that both celebrate the splendor of the season.

The 2016 silver $20 coin is the fourth issue in a series that captures the beauty of a Canadian autumn.

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The reverse image on the silver coin is by Canadian artist Tony Bianco. Bianco’s design “stirs up heart-warming memories of a leisurely walk through a forest, where fall’s colorful display is at its peak,” according to the RCM.

Color recreates fall’s palette

The application of vibrant color over the engraved scene recreates autumn’s dazzling palette, particularly the rich orange hues of the maple branches that overlap the frame on both sides of the image; the effect creates an immersive viewing experience that pulls the viewer into the serene setting. Gently pushing the branches aside, an unexpected sight reveals itself: a footbridge that arches above a cascading stream.

For the reverse of the gold $250 coin, Emily Damstra’s design utilizes a unique vantage point to capture awe-inspiring autumn splendors, with a beautiful view from below of the maple canopy.

“There’s a towering sense of height as the viewer’s gaze sweeps along the trunk of the mighty maple tree, moving upward from the base over the intricately engraved fissures and ridges, to the branches that seem to spread out overhead and across the sky,” according to the RCM.

Paint is applied over the engraving to recreate the colorful hues of the season, which range from a deep crimson red to the lightest yellow.

Three distinct falling maple leaves — each colored differently from the other — add to the immersive viewing experience.

Engraved in the tree trunk are the face value 250 DOLLARS, the word CANADA, and the year 2017.

The obverse of each of the colorful coins carries the Susanna Blunt effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The 2016 $20 coin weights 31.39 grams and measures 38 millimeters in diameter. With a mintage limit of 6,000 pieces, the coin retails for $72.95 apiece from U.S.-based distributor Talisman Coins.

The distributor offers quantity discounts for the silver coins, with pricing at $71.95 each for purchases of three to five pieces, and six or more coins priced at $69.95 each.

The 2017 gold coin has a mintage limit of 150 pieces. It weighs 62.34 grams, measures 42 millimeters in diameter and has a retail price of $3,999.95 from the same distributor.

To order the coins, visit the distributor website.