- Country:Canada
- Collection:BaseMetal Collectible Collector Keepsake 2019-2022
- Metal:Base Metal
- Year:2020
- Denomination:Sets
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):5.0
- Mintage:100000
- Product type:Coin
$2 circulation coin honours the work of Haida artist Iljuwas (Bill Reid).
Haida artist Bill Reid's contributions to the Haida Nation, and to Canada, through his art have secured his place on our coins.
This six-piece circulation set gives you two different versions (uncoloured and coloured) of the 2020 $2 Bill Reid Commemorative coin. These 2020 exclusives come packaged in a keepsake collector card alongside one of each classic circulation denomination issued this year: $1, 25-, 10- and 5-cent coins. It is a proud celebration of Haida art and culture and a special tribute to the artist on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Special Features
FAMOUS CANADIAN ART: The 2020 $2 commemorative circulation coin features the iconic art of Bill Reid (1920-1998).
INCLUDES TWO DIFFERENT VERSIONS:Included in this set are two versions of the 2020 $2 Bill Reid Commemorative Coin: a uncoloured (engraved-only) edition, and a colour one featuring colours of red, white and black.
A PROUD CELEBRATION OF HAIDA ART AND CULTURE represented by Bill Reid's Xhuwaji / Haida Grizzly Bear design.
THE YEAR IN COINS: Presented together in a display-worthy collector card, this set features uncirculated versions of Canadian circulation coins issued in 2020.
SIX COINS IN TOTAL: Every Canadian circulation coin denomination is represented in this set, including four classic designs ($1, 25-, 10- and 5-cent coins) plus two versions of the special themed $2 coin.
Did you know?
Between 2001 and 2006, Canada's $20 banknote highlighted several works by Bill Reid, including Xhuwaji / Haida Grizzly Bear featured on this coin. If the banknote's version looks different, it is - for security, technical and aesthetic reasons, the original colours were replaced by yellow and orange.
The artwork featured on the 2020 $2 coin originally appeared on a ceremonial drum, one of several designed by Bill Reid. Xhuwaji, Haida Grizzly Bear was adapted for reproduction as a silkscreen print, with copies sold to raise money for Artists for Kids. The original drum is part of the Artists for Kids permanent collection.
Xuu.ajii (Grizzly Bear) was a favourite character of Bill Reid's and he often used it in his jewelry designs and sculpture. Xuu.ajii is an important crest among the Haida Nation and plays a significant role in ancient Haida narratives.
The Skidegate Haida spelling for Grizzly Bear has evolved since Reid created Xhuwaji, Haida Grizzly Bear. Today, the word for Grizzly Bear is spelled xuu.ajii. This is because in recent decades, the spelling and phonetic structure ofthe Haida language have been refined through the efforts to revitalise the language by community members, particularly Elders, via the Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (SHIP).
Design
The reverse design features Xhuwaji / Haida Grizzly Bear by renowned Haida artist Bill Reid on the inner core and extending onto the outer ring. On the top portion of the outer ring, two images of a maple leaf appear within the line pattern. A banner at the bottom of the outer ring bears the inscriptions "BILL" and "REID" in honour of the 100th anniversary of the Haida artist's birth, while "2020" is centred between two security marks that consist of a maple leaf within another maple leaf. The selectively coloured $2 coin features the same reverse design encircled by a ring and enhanced with colours of red, white andblack. Both versions feature the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt on the obverse.
