SKU# OK1486286300E

2015 $20 Weather Phenomenon: Winter Freeze 1 oz 99.99% Pure Silver Proof

All coins offered in this listing are un-searched! (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 - 99.99% pure silver

Finish - proof

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

Diameter (mm) - 38

Edge - serrated

Certificate - serialized

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

Artists - Tony Bianco and Arnold Nogy (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Description

Freezing rain and ice might bring the world to a halt, yet despite the precarious conditions, nature carries on. The weather barely clears and the birds are out, just like the evening grosbeaks on this coin. Each one shines with golden hues of yellow alongside red berries and a covered bridge that stand out from the landscape. And, with the application of a high gloss overlay, you will almost be convinced the ice on this coin is real!

In some photos, flat surfaces on the coin may appear black or dark gray.  These surfaces are actually highly polished silver acting as a mirror and reflecting the camera used to take the photos.  Please note:  We provide real photos of real in-stock coins, not just an artist's conception of how the coin may appear.

Special features:

• A breathtaking snapshot of an icy winter day in Canada! Beautiful colour faithfully recreates the birds and berries in a foreground that is teeming with life against the stillness of the frozen countryside in the engraved background.

• A MINT FIRST! First-time application of an enhanced finish recreates the look and feel of ice for a realistic viewing experience of a winter freeze's impact on the Canadian landscape!

• Combination of innovative technology and artistry makes this a truly stunning addition to any nature, bird, and landscape or Canadiana-themed collection.

• This coin is GST/HST exempt for our Canadian customers.

About the Design:

The reverse image by Canadian artists Tony Bianco and Arnold Nogy features three evening grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus) as they move along ice-covered branches. Selective colour allows for the birds, and berries in the foreground to stand out from the engraved countryside in the background, while the addition of high gloss overlay recreated the glistening ice veneer of a winter freeze.

Did you know…

• In winter, freezing rain occurs when rain falls from a warm layer of air onto a colder layer of air, which cools the droplets; once these make contact with a frozen object, they freeze instantly to form a veneer of ice that covers everything in its path.

• An ice storm is defined as a severe freezing rain event, with some ice storms lasting several hours or even days.

• One of Canada's worst natural disasters was the ice storm of 1998, which claimed 25 lives. For more than 80 hours, areas of Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick were hit by freezing rain and ice pellets that equalled more than 100 mm of water; the storm also brought down wires and cables that would measure the equivalent distance of them wrapped around the world roughly three times!

• Glaze ice is a type of ice that is the result of freezing rain; smooth and transparent, it forms a layer on most surfaces but is also responsible for the most damage to trees.

• Canada's winter-hardy birds—including the evening grosbeak species featured on the reverse—have different ways of adapting to harsh weather, including seeking shelter in densely wooded areas.

• Freezing rain can occur anywhere in Canada but ice storms are a common winter phenomenon in Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic provinces, where they can occur up to 15 times each year. The phenomenon is best observed from indoors, as slippery roads become treacherous and tree branches or power lines can fall from the weight of the ice; but once the precipitation ceases and the winds quiet, activity slowly returns once more to the winter landscape!

Packaging:

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

Shipping & Handling

Fast, free shipping & handling via USPS Priority Mail to all U.S. addresses.  USPS Priority Mail Express is 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.

“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.