2015 1oz $20 (LIMITED EDITION) 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN FINE SILVER COIN

In commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Italian Campaign, this intricately detailed limited edition coin offers a glimpse of the fierce fighting and tremendous peril faced by Canadian soldiers during the Allied invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. It is a humble tribute to Canada’s veterans of this campaign, whose hard-fought victories in places such as Ortona helped the Allied effort push past Nazi defences.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• It marked Canada’s first large-scale ground operation of the Second World War and Canadians faced fierce fighting in areas such as Ortona, where they were forced to use the tactic of mouse-holing (breaking through inside walls to access adjoining buildings) to avoid enemy sniper fire out in the streets.
• Internationally renowned craftsmanship and exceptional engraving bring to life the finely detailed image of a Canadian tank and soldiers moving through the rubble-filled streets.
• Unique packaging features a paper diorama that recreates the battle-ravaged Italian villages and difficult fighting conditions that Canadians encountered during the bitterly fought Italian Campaign.
• A beautiful collectible for commemorators, and a prestigious addition to any Canadian military- or history-themed collection.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

SRP: $109.95

Item Number: 144042

UPC: 6-23932-06569-7

Composition: 99.99% pure silver

Mintage: 10,000

Weight (g): 31.39

Diameter (mm): 38

Face Value: $20

Finish: Proof

Edge: Serrated

Artist: Joel Kimmel

Packaging: Paper diorama with custom beauty box

DESIGN:

The reverse image by Canadian illustrator Joel Kimmel recreates the sense of danger and the fierce fighting that awaited Canadian soldiers in the narrow streets of Italian towns such as Ortona during the winter of 1943. In the background, the crumbling remnants of stone buildings are indicative of the sheer destruction caused by combat that was often fought in close quarters. In the centre, a Canadian Sherman tank rumbles through the rubble-filled streets, causing dust to fill the air behind it. The tank is flanked by two Canadian soldiers who, despite the risk of sniper fire and landmines, bravely move along the streets as they clear the town and search for survivors.