2022-03-07 Mon

The Royal Canadian Mint has come up with the bi-annual “Creatures of the North” series in the year 2020. The first-ever issue of the series is marked by the 2020 Kraken Coin of 10 Canadian Dollars.

Kraken – a sea creature with strange tentacles and super-sized body as the giant squid appears on sea charts and in European lore as early as 1555. The word “Kraken”, taken from Norwegian and Swedish, is the definite form of Krake which means an unhealthy animal. According to various sources, the Kraken is a giant squid-like creature that terrorizes sailors and ships, dooming them to a watery demise.

Designed by artist Gerald Gloade, the reverse displays the fearsome legendary creature – The Kraken. The Sea Monster is shown tearing apart a three-masted ship with staring angry eyes. The coin also features intricate details of the Kraken’s tentacles as well as the broken wooden planks from the hapless ship.

The obverse of the coin, designed by Susanna Blunt, showcases the bust of Queen Elizabeth II. Besides wearing elegant earrings, she also wears a regal pearl necklace. The obverse is inscribed with the year of issue, name of the queen as well as denomination.

Image Courtesy: herobullion.com