Campbell River artist Glen Green’s depiction of a pod of orcas is gracing the first in a series of collector coins from the Royal Canadian Mint.
The four-coin set is part of the mint’s annual This is Canada series, with the 2024 theme “Wondrous Waters,” exploring the oceans and Great Lakes.
All are designed by regional artists and are 99.9% silver with a face value of $20. The collector sets, which are being released throughout the year, sell for $104.95 through special orders from the mint.
Green’s is first out of the mint. His artwork shows a pod of orcas travelling in the Pacific Ocean near a rocky island, with forests and mountains lining the shore in the background. Compass elements surround the engraved portrait to form a frame around Canada and the face value.
The opposite side features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. It also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the date of her reign.
The remaining three coins from the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and the Great Lakes have King Charles on the opposite sides.
Green said orcas immediately came to mind when he was commissioned by the mint to depict the West Coast.
“I live on Vancouver Island and occasionally get to see pods of killer whales on my travels,” he said. “To many who witness these whales patrolling the coast, especially with a calf in tow, it is one of the most spectacular experiences one can have in their lifetime.”
Green, who was born and raised in North Vancouver, has been living in Campbell River for about seven years, but his family has had a cabin on nearby Cortes Island for decades.
He’s been commissioned by the mint before, doing a series of 25-cent coins for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.
There are three different orca populations in Canada’s Pacific Ocean waters — the fish-eating northern and southern residents,; the mammal-eating Bigg’s/transient orcas who travel between California/Mexico and Alaska, and the offshore orcas who rarely come close to land. Each type is distinguished by their lifestyle and unique social behaviours.
