The Great Lakes are the world’s largest system of fresh surface water. Its five lakes— Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario—are visible from the moon and hold about 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. They were carved out and filled by prehistoric glaciers, and cover more than 243,000 km2 (93,823 sq mi). This is one of the most biologically diverse regions in Canada with more than 150 fish and 50 plant species, some of which are not found anywhere else on earth.

The Design: 

This series by the Royal Canadian Mint showcases the uniqueness of Canada's Great Lakes. Some key features make the reverse of these coins exceptional, such as the deep negative relief (incuse) used to indicate varying depths of the lake. The space is then filled with vibrant, translucent blue enamel that shimmers on the surface of the coin the way the lake would shimmer under the white light of the Canadian sun. The lake is surrounded by a high-relief topographical map of the land around it, and further encircled by the points on a compass, with an arrow pointing due north. The face value of "20 DOLLARS" can be seen to the right of the lake, while the bottom rim of the coin displays the name of the lake pictured.