Lost Designs from the Archives: Emanuel Hahn’s Caribou – 2 oz. Fine Silver Coin (No Tax)

Completing our six-part exploration of archived art treasures, the final coin in the Lost Designs from the Archives series—a series exclusively reserved for our Masters Club members—pays homage to both the enduring spirit of the North and the artistic legacy of Emanuel Hahn.

The caribou featured on this 2 oz. 99.99% pure silver coin is believed to have been among some sketches that Emanuel Hahn resubmitted for the Coin Modernization Program following the rejection of the first submissions by the Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, and Minister of Finance, Charles Avery Dunning. While this design was intended for a five-cent piece, it was his iconic image of the caribou head that went on to grace Canada’s 25-cent coins. Drawing on Hahn’s original sketch, this full view of an antlered icon under a starry sky stays true to the original by including the year “1937” on the coin’s reverse, where yellow gold plating offers a modern tribute to what may be Hahn’s greatest legacy: a vision of Canada shaped by nature, elevated by beauty, and represented by its quiet icons.

A final tribute to Hahn’s Lost Designs from the Archives.

Selective gold plating