Canada: 2013 $3 Life in the North 1/4 oz Pure Silver Coin

Canada: $3 Life in the North Coin 2013

Composition: 99% silver

Mintage: 10000

Finish: Proof

Weight(grams): 7.96

Design: The coin showcases a design which combines animal and human imagery. A whaling boat and three kayaks wrap around the image along the rim to depict a traditional bowhead whale hunt. Two beluga whales swim alongside a bowhead whale. The animals that have long been a source of inspiration to the artist. The bowhead is adorned with several elements drawn from the Inuit culture. To honour the Tuniit people who first crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia, Dorset ivory masks adorn the bowhead’s lower jaw and its back. A Thule ivory comb lies across the top of the whale’s head, representing the Inuit expansion across Canada. The pattern on the whale’s side mimics the walls of an igloo, while the amauti design that graces the whale’s tale symbolises the clothing worn by Inuit women. It was designed by Canadian Inuit artist Tim Pitsiulak.

Packaging: Coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint branded maroon case lined with flock. It is protected by a black sleeve.