SKU# OK1447419553E

2015 $20 Polar Bear with Jade Insert Canadian Icons 99.99% Pure Silver Proof

All coins offered in this listing are unsearched! (see ‘Additional Information’ below)

All of our Canadian coins are stored in a climate controlled, smoke-free vault.  All of our Canadian coins are acquired directly from the Royal Canadian Mint - We do not sell 'second-hand' coins from unreliable and potentially fraudulent/counterfeit sources.

Specifications

Composition - fine silver (99.99% pure)

Strike Type - proof

Finish - color & crystals

Weight (g) - 31.39 (1 troy oz.)

Diameter (mm) - 38

Edge - serrated

Certificate - serialized (serial numbers will vary)

Face value - 20 dollars (a legal tender Canadian coin)

Artists - Cindy Deborah Sorley-Keichinger (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Description

Renowned for its strength and its ability to thrive in a harsh climate, the polar bear (Ursus maritimus) has become one of the most recognized icons of the Canadian North. This “King of the Arctic” is North America’s largest land carnivore and is easily identified by its thick, white fur that keeps it warm as it hunts for seals along the sea ice. With a unique jade insert added to this fine silver coin, the Royal Canadian Mint proudly celebrates this animal of the ice, and the ecosystem it inhabits. 

For thousands of years, the beauty of jade has captivated people—from ancient China and the pre-Columbian New World, to today’s collectors and jewelry makers. Treasured by the Chinese who associate it with longevity, purity and the soul, jade has been used as a good luck and protection stone in the ancient art of Feng Shui, while in gemstone therapy, it is said to bring happiness and harmony while stimulating agility and creativity. 

The jade insert on this coin’s reverse features Canadian nephrite jade that was mined in British Columbia, and is prized for its resilience and mirror-like finish once polished. By some accounts, Chinese settlers who were hunting for gold along B.C.’s Fraser River and the Dewdney Trail were the first to identify jade deposits there in 1886; in the 1930s, European miners also found large boulders from the province’s gold mines. But it wouldn’t be until the mid-20th century that commercial mining of jade was established in B.C., which has since become one of the world’s top jade producers.

Special features:

 •  Second coin by the RCM to feature a jade insert, it represents a mother polar bear with her two engraved cubs in a touching scene. 

•  Highly-detailed engraving brings to life one of the Canadian North’s most iconic animals alongside others that are closely identified with the Arctic region. 

•  A celebration of a powerful creature in its natural environment, this design is enhanced by a unique gemstone that further highlights Canada’s wealth of natural beauty through its resources. 

•  Combining tradition with modernity in a particularly harmonious way, the intricate engraving is complemented by a jade insert—a decorative stone that is found in nature and is of immense beauty and strength. 

•  For our Canadian customers, this coin is GST/HST exempt.

Design:

The reverse image by Canadian artist Cindy Deborah Sorley-Keichinger features a truly Arctic scene, one that tells the story of several of the Canadian North’s animal residents. In the foreground, a jade polar bear and her two engraved cubs have made their way to the tip of the ice pack. The stunning jade insert naturally draws the focus to the mother bear, who has turned her attention away from her cubs to look to the horizon beyond the image field. Behind them, two whales show their tails in the vast expanse of the largely iceless waters—save for a few awe-inspiring icebergs in the background. The polar bear’s two cubs carry on, somewhat playfully; while the smaller cub rests, its sibling takes the opportunity to explore its surroundings. Coming nose-to-nose with a seal pup, the polar bear cub’s curious glance is particularly poignant: neither cub nor pup fully grasp yet that as adults, they will be at odds in their roles as the hunter and the hunted in the polar chain of survival.

Packaging:

Each coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell protected by a black beauty box.

Shipping & Handling

Fast, free shipping & handling via USPS First Class Mail to all U.S. addresses.  USPS Priority Mail & Priority Mail Express are also available for an additional charge.

International shipping is via the eBay Global Shipping Program.

Additional Information

OK Ranch sells fine collectible & investment coins, fine & fashion jewelry, gifts, and more through our eBay store.  Check out my other items!  Be sure to add me to your favorites list!  Sign up for my email newsletters by adding my eBay Store to your Favorites.

“Unsearched” — All of the coins offered in this listing are “unsearched”.  Many coin dealers “search” all coins when they are received from the Mint.  They "cherry-pick" the best coins.  Then submit them to be graded, certified, and slabbed by PCGS, NGC, ANACS, etc.  These graded and certified coins are then sold at higher, premium prices.  When a dealer searches coins, those that they sell in original Mint packaging are only lesser quality coins.

Photos: When a listing offers multiples of the same coin, one coin is picked at random and photographed.  Since all coins offered in that listing are essentially identical, the coin photographed is representative of all coins offered.