This 2017 $20 fine silver coin features a round 3D dewdrop that rises from the coin’s surface, revealing an intricate diorama of the blanket flower, the meadow, forests and mountains that rise in the distance—the bee’s entire world contained within a drop of water. Nature is awesome. This captivating coin highlights one of nature’s greatest partnerships that enables the mountains of western Canada to thrive. An orange-belted bumble bee gives life to flowers as it flies from bloom to bloom to collect the nectar and pollen that are essential for its survival. The mintage is limited to only 7,500. As a pure silver coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint, this coin is HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
Canadian artist Alexandra Lefort has created an engaging design that brings the celebrated partnership between bees and flowers into the spotlight. Vibrant colour draws the eye to the orange-belted bumble bee resting on a leaf and the blanket flower that dominates the center of the design. Dewdrops cling to the leaf, the largest one crafted from a perfectly round 3D dome that reveals an incredibly detailed diorama of the bee’s alpine ecosystem. Beyond this microcosm of colour, exquisitely engraved wildflowers and grass lead the eye across the meadow to the forest and the mountain peaks beyond, all beautifully rendered with the frosted details of a proof finish.
