FIERY SKY Weather Phenomenon Silver Coin 20$ Canada 2017

The reverse image by Canadian artist Tony Bianco features a breathtaking fiery sunset in the alpine landscape of Western Canada. Detailed engraving and the careful use of various finishing techniques add a feeling of remarkable height and depth to the design, as the rugged edges of the Rocky Mountains rise up to frame the horizon while towering over the coniferous forest along the lake's shoreline. Engraved to the right is a mountain lodge, which adds a subtle human element to this tranquil setting. But the combined use of different light technology is what makes this coin truly innovative and unique, with hidden layers revealed under different lighting conditions to transform one's perception of the same engraved and printed scene. Under a black light, coloured inks that are invisible in daylight suddenly emerge; this Invisible Black Light Effect adds the perfect life-like glow and intensity to the colours of a fiery sunset, which is beautifully reflected on the rippled surface of the lake below. Moving to daylight or standard lighting, the same scene grows seemingly dimmer in keeping with the fading light at dusk, after the sun has set; shadows seem to grow long over the engraved landscape, while the dark scarlet and purple colours of the sky overhead and in the water below show darkness is creeping in. Once the coin has been sufficiently exposed to light, viewing the coin in the dark reveals yet another aspect of this outstanding design: the use of glow-in-the-dark technology that recreates a night-time phenomenon in this same setting, where moonlight spills out from between the clouds and faintly illuminates the landscape below. The obverse side is engraved with the word "Canada", the year "2017" and the face value of "20 Dollars". The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.