Striking new pearl coin is a special shoutout to Filipino Canadians
The Filipino community in Canada is getting its moment in the spotlight with a stunning new pearl coin.
The Royal Canadian Mint has just released a new design paying tribute to the Filipino community in Canada, one of the country’s fastest-growing cultural communities. Part of a series Celebrating Canada’s diversity, the Resilience coin highlights the strength and contributions of the community.
The coin, which weighs one ounce, is made of 99.99 per cent pure gold and features an inlay of genuine mother-of-pearl, a material often used in traditional Filipino art for its luminous quality. It also appears in jewellery, furniture, and design.
Royal Canadian Mint
The coin has a face value of $200, but retails at $8,849.95. It’s set to be a rare collector’s piece with just 275 available worldwide. A silver version is also available with a simulated mother-of-pearl in the centre. The silver version has a face value of $20 and costs $269.95.
Vancouver-based Filipino-Canadian artist Bert Monterona designed the coin, which comprises multiple concentric rings that represent various elements of Filipino culture.
The outer ring is a rope pattern that symbolizes strength and diversity, followed by a circle of banderitas — small, colourful flags often used as decorations during celebrations and fiestas. The next circle features mountain ranges and the swimming Sarimanok, a mythical bird that represents migration, adaptability, and perseverance.
Royal Canadian Mint
The row of heart motifs is a nod to the deep sense of community that unites Filipinos. Closer to the centre is a blend of two cultures: Canadian sugar maple leaves and okir motifs, a traditional plant-based Filipino design. At the heart of the coin is an engraved sun, inspired by the one on the Filipino flag, with a mother-of-pearl inlay at the centre.
“I’ve been weaving okir and Sarimanok motifs into my work since 1984, and they appear here,” said Monterona. “But the heart, alternating upright and inverted, is something special: it is the universal symbol of love and humanity — you can’t build a nation or community without heart.”
Royal Canadian Mint
The coins are available on the Mint’s website, and shipping starts July 6.