Description
Canada: 2016 $20 Orca Silver Coin
Composition: 99.99% silver
Finish: Proof
Mintage: 6000
Weight(grams): 26.51
Design: This coin features a superb engraved portrait of a pod of orcas in the waters off Canada's Pacific Coast. The unique perspective places the viewer at the heart of the action alongside these masters of the sea, with a side-profile view of the orcas above and below the water. Facing toward the left side of the coin, the orcas' famously contrasting colours are conveyed through the use of various finishing techniques, ensuring each orca is clearly distinct from the others within the tight-knit group. The underwater bubbles and wavy waterline add to the sense of movement, power and energy, while the different sizes of the meticulously engraved orcas provides evidence of the strong family bonds within this pod. Three of the orcas are depicted at various stages of porpoising at the surface; with tall dorsal fins rising in the air, they break out of the water to soar above it before plunging underwater in a continuous motion. Meanwhile, an adult and a calf swim beneath the waterline, which stretches from one side of the coin's scallop-shaped edge to the other.
Packaging: The coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian wooden clamshell case. It is protected by a custom box.