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2023 Canada $250 Raven Brings the Light Fine Silver Kilo (No Tax)
In the beginning, all the light in the universe—the stars, moon and sun—was kept inside an old man’s brush house. The Raven, who had tired of flying in the dark, desired this treasure and decided to steal it. After transforming himself into a piece of dust, the trickster was swallowed by the old man’s daughter, to be born as her son. The ravenchild grew up fast, and one day, he begged his grandfather to be allowed to hold the light. Seizing it, he took off suddenly, flying up through the smoke hole and into the dark sky. He watched as light illuminated the world for the first time, sending all the animals scurrying to the places they now call home.
Preserved and passed down by generations of storytellers, Indigenous creation stories—like the one enshrined in this 1kg fine silver coin—explain how things came to be, so that the listener may better understand the world and their place in it. This stunning piece brings you one such story, as interpreted by Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza. Styled like a wood-carved panel, the coin’s depiction of Raven bringing light to the world is enhanced with gold-plated rays, which also serve as an inspiring metaphor for shared knowledge and the power of ancestral teachings.
Raven plays a key role in a number of traditional Indigenous tales and creation stories, though each First Nations community may have its own version of a common story, like the one featured on this coin. A powerful trickster, Raven usually ends up transforming the world through his actions.
Designed by Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza, your coin’s reverse features the artist’s take on the well-known creation story of how Raven brought light to the world. The depiction is styled like Tahltan sculptural art and shows Raven in the once-dark sky after stealing light. Selective gold plating highlights the rays of light that illuminated the world for the first time; these gleaming rays also serve as an inspiring metaphor for shared knowledge and the power of ancestral teachings. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The obverse also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign.
Specifications:
Item Number: 208065
Mintage: 450
Composition: 99.99% pure silver, with selective yellow gold plating
Weight: 1,006 g
Diameter: 102.1 mm
Face Value: $250
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Alano Edzerza, Susanna Blunt (obverse)
Special Features:
• An age-old tale! Crafted in 1 kg of 99.99% pure silver, this gorgeous collectible represents ancestral storytelling in modern times. It is a re-telling of a well-known Indigenous creation story that explains the origin of light.
• Shines like sunlight! A selective application of yellow gold plating deepens the storytelling and highlights the rays of light that illuminated the world for the first time. Gold plating also highlights the coin’s edge and the effigy on the obverse.
• A mix of frostings! Various frostings were combined in order to create maximum contrast between the brilliant and matte elements that stand in for light and darkness.
• Tahltan art style! The coin’s reverse is rendered in the traditional style of Tahltan sculptural art and features an original design by Alano Edzerza, a well-known Tahltan multimedia artist. This marks our first collaboration with the West Vancouver-based carver and graphic designer
• Low mintage! Only 450 coins are available worldwide. Don’t miss out—order yours today!
Packaging:
The coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded wood case with a black beauty box.
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