Canada's sparkly $20 coin is as blinged out as a piece of jewellery
With its dazzling design and sparkling gemstone, the Royal Canadian Mint’s new issue isn’t your typical Canadian dollar coin.
Last year, the Mint released a $500 pure gold, diamond-shaped coin that pays homage to the cushion cut. In addition to being made with 99.99 per cent gold coin, it was also adorned with a 0.23-carat De Beers Ideal Cushion Cut diamond. And it certainly came with a hefty price tag — the coin was being sold for $19,999.95.
In comparison, the new non-circulating coin is slightly more affordable, retailing for $819.95 on the Mint’s website.
Royal Canadian Mint
Forget subtlety — the Dancing Ammolite: Elements of Nature coin features several luxurious elements that make it a must-have for serious coin collectors. The coin, which has a $20 face value, is part of the Dancing Ammolite series of coins that showcase uniquely Canadian gemstones, while also representing the elemental forces that produced them.
Designed by illustrator Mariya Olshevska, the reverse features an intricate flower pattern in 99.9 per cent pure silver and yellow gold plating. In the centre is a jewellery mount that gives it a three-dimensional effect, and inside is a glittering ammolite gemstone.
This organic gemstone is cut from fossilized shells of prehistoric marine creatures and has been excavated from Alberta’s Bearpaw Geological Formation. What makes it even more unique is the fact that Alberta is the only place in the world where ammolite is mined commercially.
Royal Canadian Mint
The obverse complements the coin’s overall theme with a simpler design — a small gold-plated effigy of His Majesty King Charles III, accompanied by a spring blossom with a standard-grade ammolite at its centre.
Royal Canadian Mint
Collectors looking to get their hands on the Dancing Ammolite: Elements of Nature coin will have to act fast, as there will only be 950 of these coins available. The coin is packaged in a black clamshell beauty box, and shipping is expected to begin on April 30.