They were Canada’s Hundred Days: From August 8 to November 11, 1918, Canadian troops cemented their reputation as an elite fighting force with a string of costly victories that stretched from Amiens to Mons. The reverse of this commemorative coin reflects on Canada’s great military successes and its sacrifices during those Hundred Days.

This 2018 $20 one ounce pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint chronicles Canada’s role on the battlefields of the First World War. Mintage is limited to 10,000 coins. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is GST/HST exempt.

The Design:

Inspired by a soldier’s account, the reverse image by Joel Kimmel looks beyond the tactical successes of Canada’s Hundred Days to reflect on the notions of sacrifice and loss. The scene pulls away from the front lines to show the aftermath of the battle in a nearby town, where smoke still billows in the distance. Broken stones and rubble are piled in a street lined with buildings that have been damaged by artillery. With their Lee Enfield rifles slung over their shoulders, two Canadian soldiers are seen standing on a pile of debris and looking down at a small clearing, where a single cross within a circle marks the makeshift grave of a Canadian soldier. The soldiers have paused to remember their fellow combatant, while noting the flowers that were placed on the tomb by civilians as a show of respect. The image is selectively gold-plated with a figure of “Victory,” from the bronze-hued Victory Medal awarded to Allied soldiers in 1919. The obverse features the effigy of King George V by Sir E. B. Mackennal.