In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
Long SOLD OUT at the Royal Canadian Mint!
A large,
beautiful silver holiday pinecones proof,
set with moonlight
Swarovski crystals - with an extremely low mintage!
Reverse
Two of the most
popular and anticipated releases of the numismatic year are the Crystal
Snowflake coins from the Royal Canadian Mint. This year, we're proud to
announce a
special bonus as well! There are not only two new silver snowflakes,
there are also two Crystal Pinecones Pure Silver Proofs
as well!
December is a month of festive decorations, including garlands and wreaths crafted from evergreen boughs and their fruits - pinecones. Be they spruce, fir or pine, these coniferous trees are powerful symbols of life that survived winter’s cold and darkest days. Ancient peoples lit fires with evergreens to provide warmth, and and decorated their homes with the pine to preserve the promise of spring to come.
How did pine cones come to be associated with Christmas? On explanation holds it was natural, as they occurred on the Christmas tree as well as pine boughs used to make wreaths, garland and sprays. More symbolically, as the fruit of an evergreen tree, pinecones represented rebirth and regeneration. Even in today’s technology-centered world, the pine cone provides a compelling connection to the essence of nature, a reminder of the hope and comfort that lie in the eternal cycle of life.
All images are official mint-supplied images. For more information about Swarovski Crystals and the origins of the pine Christmas tree, please see the presentations at the end of this article.
Investment Note
December is a month of festive decorations, including garlands and wreaths crafted from evergreen boughs and their fruits - pinecones. Be they spruce, fir or pine, these coniferous trees are powerful symbols of life that survived winter’s cold and darkest days. Ancient peoples lit fires with evergreens to provide warmth, and and decorated their homes with the pine to preserve the promise of spring to come.
How did pine cones come to be associated with Christmas? On explanation holds it was natural, as they occurred on the Christmas tree as well as pine boughs used to make wreaths, garland and sprays. More symbolically, as the fruit of an evergreen tree, pinecones represented rebirth and regeneration. Even in today’s technology-centered world, the pine cone provides a compelling connection to the essence of nature, a reminder of the hope and comfort that lie in the eternal cycle of life.
All images are official mint-supplied images. For more information about Swarovski Crystals and the origins of the pine Christmas tree, please see the presentations at the end of this article.
Investment Note
You can't help but
desire the Crystal
Pine Cone Silver Proof! Stunning in its beauty,
color, and low mintage,
it's a sure keeper! What's not to like?
* It is embedded with three glistening Swarovski crystals!
* It is minted in 99.99% pure silver!
* It has a high face value of $20!
* Most importantly, the mintage limit of only 5,000 is not only very small by silver coin standards, it also means that no more than that number of people in the entire world can ever own it!
* Previous Canadian silver proofs with a mintage of under 10,000 (including the 2009 Autumn Showers Crystal Raindrop, which also has a Swarovski Crystal embedded in it) have sold out at the mint virtually instantly, so we recommend not delaying if you want to make this beauty yours.
Technology Note
* It is embedded with three glistening Swarovski crystals!
* It is minted in 99.99% pure silver!
* It has a high face value of $20!
* Most importantly, the mintage limit of only 5,000 is not only very small by silver coin standards, it also means that no more than that number of people in the entire world can ever own it!
* Previous Canadian silver proofs with a mintage of under 10,000 (including the 2009 Autumn Showers Crystal Raindrop, which also has a Swarovski Crystal embedded in it) have sold out at the mint virtually instantly, so we recommend not delaying if you want to make this beauty yours.
Technology Note
The Royal
Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. The RCM is also
the only mint in the world to issue commemorative coins in a .9999
fineness. This one ounce silver coin is 99.99% pure!
Obverse
Obverse
The obverse is
well-utilized
with an intricately-engraved, full-face image of a festive pine garland
spray, which glitters with the Swarovski crystals set in it. The date
is
also indicated.
Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen
Elizabeth II, in profile facing right.
This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian
Coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH
II and denomination also appear.
Packaging
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated
inside a
burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with
black velvet and protected by a black outer box. An
individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.
| Country | Canada |
| Year of Issue | 2010 |
| Face Value | 20 Dollars |
| Weight | 31.39 g |
| Diameter | 38 mm |
| Mintage Limit | 5,000 |
| Finish | Proof with Swarovski Crystals |
| Composition | .9999 Fine (Pure) Silver |
| Edge | Reeded (milled, serrated) |
| Artist | Susan Taylor |
| Certificate | Individually Numbered |
Swarovski Crystal
Swarovski is the luxury brand name for the range of precision-cut crystal glass products produced by the privately-owned company Swarovski AG of Feldmeilen, Austria (near Zürich, Switzerland). Swarovski crystal was born when a Bohemian, Daniel Swarovski, invented an automatic cutting machine in 1892. In 1895 the Swarovski company was founded when he established a crystal cutting factory in Wattens (near Innsbruck, Tyrol, Austria). Here he could take advantage of local hydroelectricity for the energy-intensive grinding processes he had patented.
Swarovski crystal contains approximately 32% lead to maximize refraction. The Swarovski Crystal firm produces a wide range range of products, but is world-renowned for the incredible quality and brilliance of its crystal jewelry.
In order to create a crystal that allows light to refract in a rainbow spectrum, Swarovski coats some of its crystals with special metallic chemical coatings. For example, Aurora Borealis, or "AB", is one of the most popular coatings, and gives the surface a rainbow oil slick appearance. Recent developments include the 2004 release of a new, patented cut, Xilion, designed to optimize the brilliance of roses (crystal components with flat backs) and chatons (diamond-cut crystals).
Origins, History and Legends of the Christmas Tree
The Egyptians were part of a long line of cultures that treasured and worshiped evergreens. When the winter solstice arrive, they brought green date palm leaves into their homes to symbolize life's triumph over death. The Romans celebrated the winter solstice with a fest called Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the god of agriculture. They decorated their houses with greens and lights and exchanged gifts. They gave coins for prosperity, pastries for happiness, and lamps to light one's journey through life.
Centuries ago in Great Britain, woods priests called Druids used evergreens during mysterious winter solstice rituals. The Druids used holly and mistletoe as symbols of eternal life, and place evergreen branches over doors to keep away evil spirits. Late in the Middle Ages, Germans and Scandinavians placed evergreen trees inside their homes or just outside their doors to show their hope in the forthcoming spring. Our modern Christmas tree evolved from these early traditions.
Legend has it that Martin Luther began the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate Christmas. One crisp Christmas Eve, about the year 1500, he was walking through snow-covered woods and was struck by the beauty of a group of small evergreens. Their branches, dusted with snow, shimmered in the moonlight. When he got home, he set up a little fir tree indoors so he could share this story with his children. He decorated it with candles, which he lighted in honor of Christ's birth.
The Christmas tree tradition most likely came to the United States with Hessian troops during the American Revolution, or with German immigrants to Pennsylvania and Ohio. But the custom spread slowly. The Puritans banned Christmas trees in New England. Even as late as 1851, a Cleveland minister nearly lost his job because he allowed a tree in his church. Schools in Boston stayed open on Christmas Day through 1870, and sometimes expelled students who stayed home.
The Christmas tree market was born in 1851 when Catskill farmer Mark Carr hauled two ox sleds of evergreens into New York City and sold them all. By 1900, one in five American families had a Christmas tree, and 20 years later, the custom was nearly universal. Christmas tree farms sprang up during the depression. Nurserymen couldn't sell their evergreens for landscaping, so they cut them for Christmas trees. Cultivated trees were preferred because they have a more symmetrical shape then wild ones.
Six species account for about 90 percent of the nation's Christmas tree trade. Scotch pine ranks first, comprising about 40 percent of the market, followed by Douglas fir which accounts for about 35 percent. The other big sellers are noble fir, white pine, balsam fir and white spruce.
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