New $20 coin offers important history lesson on Canada’s earliest Black settlers
Members of Canada’s earliest Black settlements endured the long journey from the southern US for a better life, and now a new coin commemorates their incredible story.
The Royal Canadian Mint has just released the $20 fine silver coin in observance of Black History Month.
Looking to escape segregationist laws, racial hostility and violence, African American families from Oklahoma, Texas, and surrounding states journeyed to Canada, where they created a community in Pine Creek, Alberta. Despite the harsh conditions, the 300 men, women, and children created a thriving community in an area renamed Amber Valley in 1931. The community went into decline after the Second World War as residents moved to other areas to find work, but some buildings remain.
“I appreciate the recognition this coin represents,” said Myrna Wisdom, historian and co-founder of the Black Settlers of Alberta and Saskatchewan Historical Society. “The Black Settlers of Amber Valley are indeed deserving of this recognition, which includes both my paternal and maternal grandparents, as well as my parents.”
The design
Canadian artist Valentine De Landro designed the sixth coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s annual Commemorating Black History series. It features a family, some of Amber Valley’s earliest buildings, and a wagon train making its way across Alberta’s rugged terrain, a “representation of the settlers’ pioneering spirit and resilience, and their long journey north.”
Royal Canadian Mint
“For the composition, I needed to find a balance between what I thought were two prevailing characteristics: the journey and the community,” said De Landro. He added that he was inspired by old “Canada West” ads used to attract settlers.
The other side of the coin features a maple leaf pattern, the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, and the date of her reign.
Royal Canadian Mint
How can you collect this coin?
Royal Canadian Mint
If you’re looking to add this new design to your collection, you can preorder the coin right now on the Royal Canadian Mint website. There will only be 1,050 of these coins available. They’re expected to ship on February 13.
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