The Royal Canadian Mint乌鸦传媒檚 first coin in its new sterling silver This Is Canada series should look very familiar to people in the B.C. coast.

That乌鸦传媒檚 because the coastal scene of a pod of killer whales was painted by a local artist who has lived in this environment all his life.

Campbell River artist Glen Green was chosen to create the image on the first coin of the series乌鸦传媒� Wondrous Waters theme. The theme is depicted in a four-part exploration of the waters that surround Canada and begins with the Pacific Ocean.

乌鸦传媒淚 basically used the background from this area here,乌鸦传媒� Green said. 乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been in Campbell River for not-quite seven years but we乌鸦传媒檝e got a cabin on Cortes (Island) and I乌鸦传媒檝e been (going) there since I was 15 years old. So, like, I know the coast.乌鸦传媒�

The includes three other coastal regions: Arctic Coast, Atlantic Coast and the Great Lakes. They are all designed by artists from the regions, are 99.9 per cent silver, have a face value of $20 and sell for $104.95.

乌鸦传媒淎 new annual series, This Is Canada brings you the wonders and wildlife that are synonymous with this country. This is Canada 乌鸦传媒� in the hearts and minds of Canadians, and in the eyes of the world,乌鸦传媒� the Royal Canadian Mint乌鸦传媒檚 website says.

An artist from each of the regions depicted was chosen but Green explains that you have to compete for the commission by submitting proposed images.

乌鸦传媒淵ou don乌鸦传媒檛 ever get chosen outright,乌鸦传媒� Green said. 乌鸦传媒淵ou have to compete for it.乌鸦传媒�

Green is familiar with working for the mint, he has done a number of commissions over the years, going back to 2007 when he was first contacted to contribute to a series of coins commemorating the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

乌鸦传媒淚 actually probably started, I think, when they called me in 2007 to look into these coins for the Olympics and ever since then I乌鸦传媒檓 sort of wondering, 乌鸦传媒極h, that乌鸦传媒檚 a good gig,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒� he said.

When the Royal Canadian Mint contacted him back then, Green didn乌鸦传媒檛 know how he had became known to them. It turned out that somebody else was doing work for the mint at the time and they asked him about other artists.

乌鸦传媒淗e just said my name, I don乌鸦传媒檛 even know who the fellow was, really,乌鸦传媒� Green said.

Once he did the Olympic coins, which were a series of quarters, Green was now on a list of their go-to artists and has been doing coins ever since. You乌鸦传媒檝e probably had some of his coins in your pockets.

Besides the Olympic coins, he did a series for the mint on a Canadian federation and travel theme depicting modes of transportation like a boat, trains and a plane. He likes to point out his de Havilland Beaver floatplane image the mint used because it乌鸦传媒檚 an image strongly connected to Campbell River with its history of floatplane travel and the restored floatplane on display on Highway 19 as it enters the city.

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Again, you乌鸦传媒檝e probably seen the coin many times.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 literally millions of them out there. You乌鸦传媒檒l probably have one in your pocket,乌鸦传媒� he said.

And while the mint work is a 乌鸦传媒済ood gig,乌鸦传媒� he, sadly, doesn乌鸦传媒檛 get paid for every coin his image is on.

乌鸦传媒淯nfortunately, you don乌鸦传媒檛 get a royalty for every coin,乌鸦传媒� he said.

Green has made a living with his art on coins, Bradley Exchange plates and in paintings of . He乌鸦传媒檚 painted Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Rocket Richard, Jean Belliveau, Michael Jordan and Mark McGwire, among many others. Last year he did a painting of Carolina Hurricanes former-captain, now-coach and Campbell River product Rod Brind乌鸦传媒橝mour which was auctioned at the which is a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis research and which Brind乌鸦传媒橝mour has supported since it乌鸦传媒檚 inception 26 years ago.

Born and raised in North Vancouver, Green moved to Campbell River seven years ago but has been passing through the area since he was 15 when his parents bought a recreational property on Cortes Island, which he now co-owns.

When he produced an image for the mint to consider for its This Is Canada series, he got compliments on its accuracy. He shrugs them off saying it乌鸦传媒檚 where he lives.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 not like I don乌鸦传媒檛 know what I乌鸦传媒檓 doing here,乌鸦传媒� he says with a smile.

The image on the coin depicts a pod of orca that includes a calf and, again, he impressed experts the mint brought in to vet the image, like they do.

乌鸦传媒淭he expert came back and said I nailed it,乌鸦传媒� Green said. 乌鸦传媒淗e thought it was great.乌鸦传媒�

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