2004 Canada Hopewell Rocks 20 Silver Proof

[Tiffibunny]

 

99.99% Fine Silver

31.39g

38mm

Designed by Stan Witten

The coin uses selective gold plating to capture the color of the rocks.

Mintage 25,000

 

Sculpture of Sand and Stone

 

The sculptor began its work over 600 million years ago, washing rocks and pebbles from the mountains into a valley below. Over millennia, they were crushed and compressed into sandstone. As the continents shifted, these layers of sandstone, conglomerate and shale, were pushed upwards on an angle.

 

Then, glaciers from the last Ice Age began to melt 13,000 years ago, a valley filled with water. As the seawater rose, it began to move with the daily rhythm of the tides. Every time it flowed in and out of the valley, the water caressed the shoreline, filling the vertical cracks in the cliffs and carrying away bits of rock. After millennia, huge blocks of stone stood alone, separated from the shore.

 

To this day, 200 billion tonnes of water continue to swirl around the base of these rocks, sculpting distinctive "flowerpot" shapes that draw visitors from around the world. Every day, the sea retreats from the Bay of Fundy (New Brunswick) to reveal a landscape of unimaginable artistry? a magical place of ancient sculptures that are still incomplete.

 

That’s because nature’s creation is always ongoing!