This 2013 large 35 mm diameter 25 cent coin features a striking purple coneflower bloom with a red-orange tubiflora center and bright purple petals sitting atop a realistic green stem with two smooth leaves. Third coin of a series featuring insects on beautifully engraved and painted flowers. Mintage is 17,500 coins. 

The Design:

Canadian artist Maurice Gervais presents a stunning engraved and painted purple coneflower bloom. Perched atop the flower’s lower-right petals is an Eastern Tailed Blue, its dark purple-blue wings outlined in black and white, with orange dots at the base of each hind wing. The reverse also features the word “CANADA,” the date “2013” and the face value of “25 CENTS.”

The Purple Coneflower:

The purple coneflower is a favourite among Canadian gardeners not only for its easy maintenance, but its ability to attract butterflies like the eastern tailed blue. This tiny butterfly, one of Canada’s smallest and most beautiful, can be found across southeastern Canada from New Brunswick to southeastern Saskatchewan.