By: Anushka Jha
The Royal Canadian Mint launched a $20 silver coin to honor Alberta's Amber Valley, founded by African American settlers, as part of its Black History series.
Around 300 men, women and children left Oklahoma, Texas & other states in 1910, fleeing segregationist laws, racial hostility.
The settlers overcame harsh wilderness, enduring new hardships to build the thriving Amber Valley community dedicated to a better life for their families.
Artist Valentine De Landro centered the coin's design on the settlers' arrival, with a map of Alberta framed by their wagon train's arduous journey.
Log cabins evoke the pioneering spirit of the exceptional group who built one of Western Canada's first Black settlements through determination.
The Mint hopes the silver keepsake brings wider recognition to the Amber Valley settlers' tale of perseverance in overcoming adversity to succeed in a new land.
The 99.99% pure silver coin has a limited mintage of 5,500. It retails for $104.95 CAD and can be ordered online or at Mint boutiques.