New from the Royal Canadian Mint is a $20 silver coin that depicts a cluster of birch leaves with one prominently featuring a semi-precious stone embellishment. This is the second coin with such a treatment. The first one sold out.
The new coin is composed of 1 troy ounce of 99.99% pure silver to collector proof quality. Each is one-of-a-kind due to the unique crystal-encrusted treatment, the Mint promotes:
"Only a very small portion of fine drusy quartz has the rich green tones selected for your coin — each is unique."
Drusy stone is a natural crystal that forms on mineral surfaces, most common on quartz and agate.
The mintage — at 5,500 — is lower than that of typical silver coins, but its price with the supplemental drusy stone is also more at CAD $161.95, which is about US $121. In recognition of its higher price, the Mint has added options to spread the cost over to 2 or 3 monthly payments.
Designed by Canadian artist Tony Bianco, reverses show a green drusy stone leaf emerging from a cluster of engraved birch leaves and catkins. These are encircled by an Art Nouveau-inspired frame of curling wood and stylized leaf forms. Inscriptions include 20 DOLLARS, 2017 and TB for the artist’s initials.
Obverses offer Susanna Blunt’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with surrounding inscriptions of ELIZABETH II, CANADA and D G REGINA.
Royal Canadian Mint-provided coin specifications include:
- Mintage: 5,500
- Composition: 99.99% pure silver
- Finish: proof
- Weight (g): 31.39
- Diameter (mm): 38
- Edge: serrated
- Certificate: serialized
- Face value: 20 dollars
- Reverse Artist: Tony Bianco
- Obverse Artist: Susanna Blunt
The Royal Canadian Mint’s first coin with a similar embellishment was its 2016 $20 Majestic Maple Leaves with Drusy Stone 1 oz. Silver Coin.
It sold out but it also had an even lower mintage of just 4,000. Customers appear to be happy with their purchase, based on comments found on the coin’s product page. There are 33 reviews with an overall favorable rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
Ordering
The 2017 $20 Brilliant Birch Leaves with Drusy Stone 1 oz. Silver Coin is available from the Royal Canadian Mint at mint.ca. An affiliate link to the coin’s product page is right here.
I am very pleased with my RCM and their new payment plan options. They not only apply to silver numismatic coins but also gold. A great way to allow new and establised collectors (on a fixed budget) the ability to obtain new coins for their collection.
Mouse