The Orca Whale, a 2011 gold proof coin from Canada.

 

The Royal Canadian Mint presents the 2011 Orca Whale 50 Cents Gold Proof Coin, a commemorative 1/25oz 99.99% pure gold coin featuring an awesome power at sea.

The Orca Whale is among the most intelligent mammals with the rare ability to pass its knowledge onto its young. It hunts in pods of up to three dozen individuals and is a spectacular sight at sea. Long revered by First Nations communities of the Northwest Coast, the powerful Orca is increasingly threatened by pollution and habitat loss.

Celebrated First Nation’s artist Corrine Hunt has brought her distinctive vision of traditional Kwakwaka’wakw and Tlingit forms to create these special-edition collectibles. Every design is visual poetry that gives the time-honored traditions of conservation and respect a contemporary voice with powerful lines and well-honed economy in composition.

2011 is the International Year of Forests—a time to reflect on the significant role the wilderness plays in reducing global warming and preserving the earth’s environmental balance.