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Canada under Elizabeth II – Queen: 6 February 1952–present
Crystal Raindrop Series – (Colorized Leaves & Swarovski Crystal as Raindrop)
2011 Proof Silver 20 Dollars 38mm (31.39 grams) 0.9999 Silver (1.0091 oz. ASW)
Reference: KM# 1147
Certification: NGC PF 70 ULTRA CAMEO 2845077-006
ELIZABETH II D•G•REGINA, Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, facing right.
CANADA 2011 20 DOLLARS CG, Colored Maple Leaves and seed cluster, with crystal raindrop made of Swarovski Element crystal.
Coin Notes:
Designed by Canadian artist Celia Godkin, the coin features a beautifully colored design of the leaves and seeds of the Bigleaf of ten maple species native to Canada. A Swarovski Element depicts a water droplet dripping off of one leaf’s edge.
You are bidding on the exact item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity.
King of the Maples
The Bigleaf is one of the largest and fastest-growing maple trees in Canada. Reaching heights of up to thirty meters, this elegant specimen is well named. It’s shiny, dark green, five0lobed leaves measure up to thirty cm across – by far the alrgest leavs of any maple in Canada.
When this proud western native grwos in the humid, croded Pacific forest, it can often be found with its bark and branches draped in epiphytic moss and ferns – lending a spirit of enchantment to its majestic silhouette.
In early spring, tiny yellow-green flowers hang in clusters at its twig-ends. These sweet, edible delights atttract deer and other animals to the saplings. The flower is soon fololowed by fruit: a pair of graceful, furry winged seeds (samaras).
Coastal aboriginal peoples have long been attracted to the tree for its savoury sap, sweet flowers, and close-grained hardwood.
Tiny Echoes of Rain
From their fresh new growth in spring to their ultimate expression of vibrant fall color, the leaves of the maple tree enrich the Canadian landscaped from coast to coast. In summer, they form a dense canopy that shields against the summer sun-and unexpected rain.
When the clouds clear, the leaves shine with renewed vibrancy, their wet surfaces reflecting maximum light from the sun. But this moment of heightened beauty is short0lived. As each leaf bends under the weight of the moisture, water collects at its lowest point and begins to form a water droplet.
The droplet is dynamic. It continues to grow until the leaf can no longer support its weight – the leaf bends and for a fleeting moment a tear-shaped drop of water hangs between heaven and earth before falling to the ground – a tiny echo of the life-giving rain that passed a few moments earlier.
.svg/220px-Canada_(orthographic_projection).svg.png)  Canada is a country, consisting of ten provinces and three territories, in the northern part of the continent of North America. It extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering 9.98 million square kilometres (3.85 million square miles) in total, making it the world’s second-largest country by total area and the fourth-largest country by land area. Canada’s common border with the United States forms the world’s longest land border. Canada is sparsely populated overall, the majority of its land territory being dominated by forest and tundra as well as the mountain range of the Rocky Mountains; about four-fifths of the population live near to the southern border. The majority of Canada has a cold or severely cold winter climate, but southerly areas are warm in summer.
The land now called Canada has been inhabited for millennia by various Aboriginal peoples. Beginning in the late 15th century, British and French colonies were established on the region’s Atlantic coast. As a consequence of various conflicts, the United Kingdom gained and lost North American territories until left, in the late 18th century, with what mostly comprises Canada today. Pursuant to the British North America Act, on July 1, 1867, three colonies joined to form the autonomous federal Dominion of Canada. This began an accretion of provinces and territories to the new self-governing Dominion. In 1931, Britain granted Canada near total independence with the Statute of Westminster 1931 and full sovereignty was attained when the Canada Act 1982 severed the vestiges of legal dependence on the British parliament.
Canada is a federal parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, Queen Elizabeth II being the current head of state. The country is officially bilingual at the federal level. It is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries, with a population of approximately 35 million as of 2015. Its advanced economy is the eleventh largest in the world, relying chiefly upon its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade networks. Canada’s long and complex relationship with the United States has had a significant impact on its economy and culture.
Canada is a developed country and one of the wealthiest in the world, with the tenth highest nominal per capita income globally, and the eighth highest ranking in the Human Development Index. It ranks among the highest in international measurements of government transparency, civil liberties, quality of life, economic freedom, and education. Canada is a Commonwealth Realm member of the Commonwealth of Nations, a member of the Francophonie, and part of several major international and intergovernmental institutions or groupings including the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the G8, the Group of Ten, the G20, the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
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