Description

A visually striking design that is elegant, inspired… and INTERACTIVE!

The tiny, iridescent hummingbird is a fascinating sight as, unlike other birds, it can hover in place in the air, propelled by rapid wing motion that produces a distinct hum. Moving at incredible speed, the hummingbird with its relentless feeding contributes to cross-pollination of many of our flowering plants, including the beautiful zinnias that are native primarily to North America.

On the coin’s reverse, a moveable hummingbird is drawn to one of our showiest blooms. Individually cast in sterling silver and plated in gold and rose gold, this magnificent hummingbird-and-flower duo adds height and carefully crafted elegance to the engraved design. But like its real-life counterpart, our little hummingbird isn’t one to just sit around — simply tilt the coin to make this hummingbird “fly” around the flower!

The gold and rose gold-plated elements transform the design into a more dimensional one.

Art meets technology.

Did you know:

• Canada has five species of hummingbirds: the most common and widely-distributed species, Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris), is the only species found in Eastern Canada; the others are found in Western Canada.
• Ruby-throated Hummingbird measures from a mere 7.5 cm to slightly more than 9 cm from the tip of its bill to the tip of its tail and beats its wings about 55 to 75 times a second.
• Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly south in the fall and return north in the spring. They cross the 800-km expanse of the Gulf of Mexico on their way to and from their wintering grounds.
• Zinnias, native primarily to North America, seem to be a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies, and many gardeners grow the flowers specifically to attract them.
• Zinnias are grown in the summer and bloom all season long. They come in various colours and in many shapes, from a single row of petals to a dome shape. Experimentation aboard the International Space Station has demonstrated that zinnias are capable of blossoming in a weightless environment.

Special Features:

• A sophisticated design that magnificently merges art and technology; engraving and casting; silver and (rose) gold.
• The hummingbird moves! The reverse design includes a show-stopping, interactive element: tilt the coin to help the “flying” hummingbird circle around the zinnia.
• Gold and rose gold plating elegantly highlights the crowning touches (the hummingbird and flower) of this floral-inspired design, while a proof finish lights up the engraved shrub like sunlight on a summer day.
• Beauty that won’t whither or fade. This gorgeous coin and its hummingbird-and-flower topper will forever bloom and enchant as a treasured part of your collection. A true stunner.

 Design

The reverse image by artist Eric Boyer presents a close view of a cluster of zinnias, flowers that are native primarily to North America. The leaves and flowers fill much of the engraved reverse, where the proof finish is as luminous as a bright summer day. The image is topped by two sterling silver-cast elements: a rose gold-plated bloom and a gold-plated hummingbird. Firmly affixed to the coin’s surface, the flower is fully opened to attract hummingbirds and pollinating insects. But the moveable hummingbird adds an interactive twist to this dimensional design; using gravitational force, the “flying” hummingbird is able to circle around the zinnia whenever the coin is tilted from one side to the other. The reverse includes the engraved word “CANADA” and the year, “2020”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Product Specifications