Toronto 
The Royal Canadian Mint is releasing a commemorative silver coin to mark 2022 Black History Month.
CNW Group/Royal Canadian Mint
The new $20 99.99% pure silver coin depicts the Underground Railroad, the famous network of safe houses and secret routes that helped enslaved people of African descent escape to freedom in Canada.
The coin, designed by Toronto artist Kwame Delfish, is part of the ongoing Commemorating Black History coin series.
The design is an innovative tribute to those who travelled the Underground Railroad. The men, women and children following the Big Dipper constellation to guide their way north to freedom, are illustrated along the coin’s edge to create the sense of circular motion representing their long, continuous journey.
The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt, set against a repeating maple leaf pattern.
“This coin is meant to honour and pay homage to the ancestral slaves that escaped to the North in search of freedom,” said artist Kwame Delfish. “Many did not get to complete the journey and faced the same (if not more) hardships than what they left behind. The ones that made it built their legacies and shaped the mosaic that Canada is today. My hope is that their strength and courage is illustrated on this coin, and that I have sung their gospel.”
FOR COLLECTORS
Those who are interested can buy the $20 Fine Silver Coin Commemorating Black History – The Underground Railroad for $99.95.
The coin can be ordered by contacting the Mint at 1-800-267–1871 in Canada, 1-800-268–6468 in the US, or at www.mint.ca.
The coin limited to 5500 mintage will launch on February 1, 2022.
