2022 Canada $175 Birds in Shadow Box R&D Lab Fine Silver (No Tax)

2022 Canada $175 Birds in Shadow Box R&D Lab Fine Silver (No Tax)

The shadow box is a timeless artform, one that draws you in by layering shapes to create a beautiful and familiar scene—like the one featured on this extraordinary collectible. Building on the multilayered concept introduced in 2019, the latest minting innovation from the Royal Canadian Mint's R&D Lab is a prototype shadow box coin that pushes the boundaries of dimensional engraving even further.

The coin’s reverse takes the 2019 Birds in the Backyard design and breaks it down into four distinct layers of art. By spacing out and superimposing these layers, the arrangement forms a richer, more complex scene with unparalleled depth, detail and realism, made possible by the Royal Canadian Mint's R&D researchers.

This prototype coin’s reverse features a groundbreaking shadow box concept that separates Neil Hamelin’s 2019 Birds in the Backyard design into four distinct layers of art. The bottom layer features the engraved leaves and branches of a catalpa (Catalpa speciosa) tree. The two middle layers feature three birds on the upper layer, a nest box and branches on the lower one—are superimposed to create a floating image effect. The top layer consists of a blue jay and leaves that frame your view of this multidimensional scene. The obverse features a laser-frosted maple leaf background pattern and the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Specifications:
Item Number: 205038
Mintage: 252
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Weight: 711 g
Diameter: 102 mm
Face Value: $175
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Neil Hamelin (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Special Features:
• Ground-breaking! This is your first look at a ground breaking innovation from the Royal Canadian Mint’s R&D Lab, which is behind some of the Mint's most exciting coin products and minting advances.
• A world first! The world’s first shadow box coin features four separate layers of art on its reverse. To best demonstrate this new minting technology, we took a familiar scene (2019’s Birds in Backyard design) and broke it down into engraved top and bottom layers, and two superimposed cut-out layers in the middle.
• Outstanding depth and detail! This coin requires multiple viewings to fully appreciate all the details! The layers have been spaced out to create a floating image effect, and some of the overlapping portions obscure details that are only visible when the coin is viewed from a different angle.
• Extremely low mintage! One of the Royal Canadian Mint's most popular series, From the R&D Lab coins represent an initial test run for never-before-seen technology—that’s why the mintage is so low. These extremely rare coins always sell out quickly, and for 2022, only 252 were minted. Hurry, order yours today!
• Exclusive packaging! The prototype shadow box coin comes packaged in an exclusive R&D Lab wooden box with a special certificate that explains the technology.

Packaging:
This prototype coin is encapsulated and presented in an exclusive R&D Lab wooden box, along with a special certificate that explains the technology.