2013 1oz $20 A STORY OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS: THE GREAT HARE FINE SILVER HOLOGRAM COIN

Theme:
Great hare builds a fire – the legend of the Northern Lights.

Description:
Canadian artist and Métis Nathalie Bertin, created the reverse design which reveals the Odawa legend of Nanahboozho sitting by his fire that creates the northern lights. The lights are highlighted with a uniquely shaped hologram that mimics their movement in the night sky.

Special Features:

•  A gorgeous, stylized design that celebrates the warmth of this historical legend.
•  A variety of finishes were used to highlight elements in the northern landscape, from a brilliantly polished sky to the snow-capped trees and ground cover.
•  Rare, shaped hologram!
•  Clamshell case is accompanied by a custom beauty box featuring subtle elements from the coin’s design.
•  An excellent gift or collectible for art aficionados and history buffs, and appreciators of First-nations lore.

Face Value:
20 dollars
Mintage:8,500
Composition:99.99% pure silver
Weight (g):31.39
Diameter (mm):38
Edge:Serrated
Finish:Proof
Certificate:Serialized
Artist:Nathalie Bertin
Advertising Date: July 3, 2013
Launch Date: July 9, 2013


Coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell case lined with flock and protected by a custom beauty box.
Finished Packaging Size:
67 mm x 67 mm

Complete Certificate Text:

Great Hare Builds a Fire
One can imagine the awe and wonder that early civilizations must have felt when the northern lights lit up the night sky. The many stories that those cultures shared help to illustrate the mystery that surrounded the dancing lights, and the impact they had on their people. These legends were woven into the fabric of First Nations history, and passed down through generations in the oral tradition of storytelling, evolving along with the communities surrounding them. Modern science has found ways to explain the refraction of light, but for thousands of years it was veiled in natural wonder.

The many bands that comprise the Algonquin people share a number of stories about the northern lights and a cultural hero known as “Nanahboozho*” who would often shape-shift into the Great Hare. Nanahboozho was the Creator of Turtle Island after the great flood, and the Odawa people of Manitoulin Island (Ontario) have a historical legend that when he was finished, he travelled north and built great bonfires. These bright fires were reflected as dancing colours in the sky, shining to remind his people that he was thinking of them.

Today, as we look up at Nanahboozho’s glowing flames of green, yellow and purple in the night sky, that original sense of awe and wonder can still be felt. The thought that they are a warm reflection of a thoughtful Creator can serve to inspire a deeper connection to the beauty and mystery in the world around us.

*“Nanahboozho” is one of many spellings and pronunciations associated with this legendary character.