The Royal Canadian Mint have launched the third coin in their very popular “Banknotes of Canada” series which began early last year. The latest coin features a re-creation of the stunning portrait of a lion taken from an early twentieth century vignette created by the British American Banknote Company.

The banknote in question and of outstanding design was the 50 Dollar note issued in 1908 by the Northern Crown Bank. The Northern Crown Bank, a commercial financial institution originating in Winnipeg, Manitoba began operations in 1908 when The Northern Bank and The Crown Bank of Canada were merged. The resulting bank would ultimately be bought out by The Royal Bank of Canada in July 1918. Like many privately owned and commercial banks of the time, it issued its own currency – often very colorful notes and with artistic merit now widely collected and admired for their detailed and classic designs.

The first coin the Banknote series and featured a design of a seascape-themed vignette from the Canadian Bank of Commerce’s 1888 20-dollar bank note. The 2013 design centered on a youthful figure: possibly a young Hermès, who was a god of the Greek pantheon and a patron of travelers. The second coin, also issued in 2013 featured part of the vignette that appeared on the $5 bank note issued in 1859 by the short-lived Bank of Western Canada. A depiction of Saint George slaying the dragon was the primary design.

The obverse of the coin "Lion on the Mountain" carries the Susanna Blunt effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The reverse of this 99.99% fine silver coin features a re-creation of the stunning portrait of a lion taken from an early twentieth century vignette created by the British American Banknote Company. The King of the Jungle is brought to life in painstaking detail as Royal Canadian Mint engravers capture the characteristic line engraving of early banknote design. Augmenting the masterful work of the original engraving, here the distinctive curve of each muscle and strand of fur, the striking shading of the lion and his dramatic mountainous surroundings, and the minute detail of the scrollwork and lettering are taken from original banknote designs and rendered in pure silver.