They’re the lyrics you hear on Canada Day, at a citizenship ceremony, or before the first puck drop at a hockey game. Sung in English and/or French, O Canada is an invitation for every Canadian to add their voice to a big musical expression of pride! Our national anthem is at the heart of this special coin, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, 1969. The design combines red maple leaves (one for each official language) and laser- engraved ones that represent a surge of pride. But the beauty of this piece lies in the little details. Almost invisible to the eye are the lyrics to O Canada along the rim of the design, in the two languages that represent more than 300 years of shared history.

The Design:
Designed by Joel Kimmel, the selectively coloured reverse is double dated (“1969 - 2019”) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act of 1969. Two red maple leaves represent Canada’s two official languages, English and French. Throughout the field, a laser-engraved circular pattern of maple leaves pulls the viewer into the design while expressing a surge of pride. From the English version of “O CANADA” comes the lyric “WITH GLOWING HEARTS”, which is perpendicular to the French lyric, “DES PLUS BRILLIANTS EXPLOITS”. Encircling the design are the anthem’s complete lyrics, with the text so small, it’s almost not visible. The reverse includes a bilingual “50 YEARS ANS” inscription. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.