2014 $20 LEGEND OF NANABOOZHOO - PURE SILVER COIN
 
This one ounce fine silver coin honours the long-standing tradition of First Nations story-telling; it is part of a series of coins celebrating Nanaboozhoo, a legendary figure in Ojibwa folklore.
 
Nanaboozhoo is a shape-shifting spirit (often taking on the form of a rabbit) that is prominently featured in Aboriginal story-telling, including the story of the world's creation. Folkloric tales tell us that Nanaboozhoo was first sent to earth to teach the Ojibwa; his first task was to name all of the plants and animals. The highly-detailed, beautifully rendered and brightly coloured image by Ojibwa artist Cyril Assiniboine shows Nanaboozhoo in profile, alongside the fearsome Thunderbird, a mythical beast in First Nations folklore that lives in the opening of the clouds in the sky.
 
According to one legend, Nanaboozhoo turns himself into a rabbit and is swiftly carried up to the nest of the Thunderbirds in order to retrieve their feathers, which would make his hunting arrow very powerful. He steals these feathers from the young Thunderbirds while the parents are out hunting and returns to the earth, very much hurt from his high jump. When the older Thunderbirds learn of this deceit (Nanaboozhoo has been defined as a "trickster" figure in First Nations folklore) they chase him across the land, but he takes cover within the hollow trunk of a birch tree. When the Thunderbirds eventually give up on their pursuit, Nanaboozhoo escapes and declares the birch tree a protector and benefactor of the human race.
 
Today, you can still see the short black marks on birch tree bark made by the angry claws of the Thunderbirds; this is also why lightning never strikes a birch tree. This coin, struck with proof-finish in 99.99% pure silver, is part of a collection of five coins that chronicle the legend of Nanaboozhoo. This coin would make a fantastic addition to any collection of precious coins, or as a gift to any First Nations folklore enthusiast.