2019 - $30 - 2 oz. Pure Silver Coin - The Fabric of Canada

Canada's iconic red-and-white flag first made its way up the flagpole on Parliament Hill at noon on February 15, 1965: a moment that was decades in the making.

Canada started exploring the idea of replacing Great Britain's Royal Union Jack with its own flag in the late 1800s. Though the issue was taken up by formal committees over the decades that followed, the project always seemed to stall. In 1964, with Canada's centennial just around the corner, Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson set up the committee that ultimately chose the now-famous red maple leaf on a white square. Queen Elizabeth II lent the design her formal proclamation on January 28, 1965, and it was inaugurated on February 15, 1965.

Canada's flag has come to represent unity within diversity—a trait Canadians take great pride in. Canada became the first officially multicultural country in the world in 1971, recognizing diversity as the foundation of its national identity. This aspect of Canadian identity is protected by law not only in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (1982) but also in the Canadian Multiculturalism Act (1988).

Today, more than 20 percent of Canadians are first-generation immigrants, representing the highest immigrant population among the G7 nations. From the shores of the Atlantic to the vast mountains of the Pacific Coast, diversity is a key thread running throughout the fabric of Canadian society.

Specifications
No. 172043
Mintage 2,500
Composition 99.99% pure silver
Finish proof
Weight (g) 62.69
Diameter (mm) 50
Edge serrated
Certificate serialized
Face value 30 dollars
Artist Rebecca Yanovskaya (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)