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Only 150 of these coins have been produced, each crafted from a single pour of pure molten silver. These coins were struck under pressures as high as 2,500 tons, up to 8 times. Mintage of only 150 coins!
The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to release this very special 5-kilogram silver coin – only the third of its kind ever produced by the Mint – to honour the contribution and sacrifice of Aboriginal members of the Canadian armed forces.This beautiful coin is encased in an acrylic box along with a certificate of authenticity in a book format and is presented in an elegant collector’s box made of Canadian walnut wood.

Your coin features images from the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument designed by Canadian artist Noel Lloyd Pinay. As on the statue itself, the image is crowned with an eagle, also known as the Thunderbird, its wings spread. This figure is the symbol of the Creator and the embodiment of the spirit of the Aboriginal people of Canada. Standing beneath the outspread wings of the Thunderbird are four human figures who, on the monument itself, gaze in the four directions of the compass: a First Nations man, an Inuit man, a Métis man and a First Nations woman. The four human figures are accompanied by the four animal spirit guides that stand guard at the four corners of the statue’s base: wolf, bear, elk, and bison. Each of these creatures has characteristics held in high esteem by Aboriginal warrior traditions. Those guided by the bear hope to be granted tremendous strength and healing power. Followers of the wolf value the attributes of intelligence, courage, and love of family. The elk, also known as the red deer or wapiti, is respected for its speed, sharp senses, and power in battle. The massive bison is a model of strength and stability.

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Packaging:
Your coin is encased in an acrylic box. This coin is also accompanied with a serialized certificate in a book format, presented in an elegant collector’s box made of Canadian walnut wood and branded with the Royal Canadian Mint logo.

Special features:

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•     Royal Canadian Mint has issued a full 5-kilogram 99.99% pure silver coin 

•     Sizable 180 mm diameter and beautifully designed coin is made of 99.99% pure silver

•     Canadian First Nations artist Noel Lloyd Pinay’s symbolically rich sculpture

•     Beautiful design is sculpted in ultra high relief

•     Coin comes in a beautiful black box with a numbered COA
  

•     Strict limited mintage of only 150 coins worldwide

•     Obverse: Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, “D. G. REGINA”, and the legal tender value of 500$
  

•     Reverse: A very high quality rendition of The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument
  

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 In the series you can find:

  2012 – 500 dollars – The Spirit of Haida Gwaii

  2013 – 500 dollars – The Emily Carr’s Tsatsisnukomi

  2014 – 500 dollars – The National Aboriginal Veterans

  2015 – 500 dollars – The Dance Screen

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Historia:

The aboriginal people of Canada have fought alongside and as part of the nation’s military since the colonial period. Motivated by the potential for adventure, a steady pay cheque, and strong community support, more than 4,000 Aboriginal people enlisted in the First World War and more than 3,100 in the Second. After the Second World War, Aboriginal peoples enlisted in all three services and fought in Korea and later in Afghanistan. Aboriginal men and women also served in Europe as part of the Canadian deterrent against the Warsaw Pact and have served as peacekeepers on all major Canadian missions from the first United Nations mission in the Sinai in 1956 to operations in the former Yugoslavia. Their skills and knowledge have been highly valued. As Canadian Rangers, Aboriginal Canadians helped provide a first line of surveillance along Canada’s Arctic and northwest Pacific coasts, and from the 1950s they have also served as instructors for Arctic survival courses.

The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument offers a uniquely Aboriginal perspective on the interconnectedness of war and peace, and humanity and the natural world. Drawing from key elements of Aboriginal cultural traditions, it intertwines symbols in a beautiful tribute that tells a powerful story. Executed in bronze with a diamond brown granite base, the five-metre monument tells the story of Aboriginals’ vital role in historic events at home and abroad.

Topped by the figure of the Thunderbird, a First Nations man, an Inuit man, a Métis man, and a First Nations woman gaze to the four points of the compass. They are accompanied by the four animal spirit guides that stand guard at the four corners of the statue’s base: wolf, bear, elk, and bison. Each of these creatures has characteristics held in high esteem by Aboriginal warrior traditions.