Canada 25 cents 2013 - First Canadian Arctic Expedition

New commemorative quarters:

'100th Anniversary of the First Canadian Arctic Expedition'

The first coin was designed by Canadian artist Bonnie Ross. The coin depicts the Canadian Arctic Expedition, a group of three men aboard a dogsled, the waiting dog team before them listening for the command to move on across the Arctic tundra. The skyline and horizon in the background are filled with a stylized image of a compass.



Designed by renowned Inuit artist Tim Pitsiulak, this second coin includes a beautifully detailed design that combines animal and human imagery. A traditional whaling boat and three kayaks wrap around the image along the rim to depict a traditional bowhead whale hunt. Two beluga whales swim alongside a bowhead whale – animals that have long been a source of inspiration to the artist. The bowhead is adorned with several elements drawn from the Inuit culture. To honour the Tuniit people who first crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia, Dorset ivory masks adorn the bowhead's lower jaw and its back. A Thule ivory comb lies across the top of the whale's head, representing the Inuit expansion across Canada. The pattern on the whale's side mimics the walls of an igloo, while the amauti design that graces the whale's tale symbolizes the clothing worn by Inuit women.



As my friends Dan and Pabitra told me, there are 2 varieties of these 2 types, depending on the frosted features of the coins (please read Dan's commnents):



(news by Dan McIntyre and Pabitra Saha)
(frosted variations image from www.numicanada.com/)

LINK: Royal Canadian Mint