This exceptional high-denomination coin features an aboriginal story rendered in the Royal Canadian Mint’s 99.99% pure gold. In Atikamekw heritage, the stories of these iconic characters are told and retold until they become part of a person’s identity and daily life, helping to pass the values and perspectives of the Atikamekw culture on to the next generation. Mintage is limited to 100 coins. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
The reverse image features an original work by Canadian Atikamekw artist Raymond Weizineau portraying elements of Atikamekw myth and storytelling. Designed around a stylized linear circle decorated with eight maple leaves and backed by a crystal-like design reminiscent of a snowflake, the inner portion of the image features (clockwise from the top) a man paddling a traditional First Nations birch bark canoe; a large and majestic Woodland Caribou with a massive rack of antlers atop its head; two stylized fish; a Canada Goose viewed from the front, its head tilted to the right so that its left profile is presented to the viewer; a polar bear sitting in a semi-reclined position and an inuksuk. Two images flank the central circular motif: on the left side of the coin, a beaver with stylized tail is presented sitting amid a pile of chewed logs and, on the right side, a loon rendered in profile in traditional Aboriginal style, its graceful neck bowed downward toward an egg cradled between its webbed feet.
