Canada 2014 Stained Art Glass #2 - Casa Loma Castle in Toronto Ontario $20 Pure Silver Proof with Enamel

Canada is a land of imposing buildings and majestic monuments. Canadian towns and cities are replete with public art, one of the most beloved and colorful of which is stained art glass. What better purpose to put the Royal Canadian Mint's proprietary, colorful translucent enamel?!?!

The second coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s exciting new series of Stained Glass Windows of Canada pure silver enameled proofs depicts Casa Loma, a huge Gothic Revival castle in Toronto, Ontario, the largest private residence in Canada! The obverse image features a full color floral window, which is the center roundel of the McCausland dome in the conservatory, replicated by the Royal Canadian Mint engravers and highlighted with brilliant translucent enamel.

Click here for all coins in the Stained Art Glass program!

Click here for a great selection of coins featuring color enamel!

Casa Loma Castle
Casa Loma (Spanish for Hill House) is a Gothic Revival style house and gardens in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is now a museum and landmark. It was originally a residence for financier Sir Henry Mill Pellatt. Casa Loma was constructed over a three-year period from 1911–1914. The architect of the mansion was E. J. Lennox, who was also responsible for the designs of several other city landmarks.

The house cost approximately $3.5 million and took a team of 300 workers three years to build from start to finish. Unfortunately, due to the start of World War I, construction on the house was halted. At 98 rooms covering 64,700 square feet (6,011 m2), it was the largest private residence in Canada.[2] Notable amenities included an elevator, an oven large enough to cook an ox, two vertical passages for pipe organs, a central vacuum, two secret passages in Sir Henry's ground-floor office, along with a pool and three bowling alleys in the basement (the last two were never completed).

Most of the third floor was left unfinished, and today serves as the Regimental Museum for The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada. Pellatt joined the Regiment as a Rifleman and rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the Commanding Officer. He was knighted for his dedication to the Regiment. Later, Pellatt served as the Honorary Colonel and was promoted Major-General upon retirement.

During the depression that followed World War One, the City of Toronto increased Casa Loma's annual property taxes from $600 per year to $1,000 a month, and Pellatt, already experiencing financial difficulties, was forced to auction off $1.5 million in art and $250,000 in furnishings. Sir Henry was able to enjoy life in the castle for less than ten years, leaving in 1923.

Casa Loma has five acres of gardens. An underground tunnel connects Casa Loma to the Hunting Lodge and to the stables (garage, potting shed, stalls, carriage room and tack rooms).

Click here for other great colored coins!

Click here for more coins depicting beautiful flowers!

Technology Note - Enamel
The vibrant colors of the stained glass features the Royal Canadian Mint’s patented enamel technology. This proprietary technique applies deep, rich, semi-opaque colors to the coin, while the glaze over these hues enhances the effect of real enamel.

Click here for a great selection of coins featuring color enamel!

Technology Note - Purity
The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. The RCM is also the only mint in the world to issue commemorative coins in a .9999 fineness. This one troy ounce silver proof coin is 99.99% pure!

Click here for more great pure silver coins!

Obverse
A stunning reproduction of the central disc or roundel of the McCausland stained glass dome in Toronto’s Casa Loma. At the heart of the disc lies a raised polished silver circle framed with engraved rays. The image is divided into four quadrants by raised silver lines spanning from the central circle to the coin’s raised outer rim. Each of the four lines bears a stylized cluster of nine purple grapes. These four clusters are separated from each other by dark green leaves set against a whimsically engraved lighter green palazzo-like background. A golden vine encircles the central portion of the image, winding its way around the coin from central curlicues that surround the central circle. The outer rim of the image is lined with alternating light green segments. There are no legends on this side of the coin, to avoid detracting from the beautiful design.

Click here for all coins in the Stained Art Glass program!

Reverse
A frosted cameo portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears.

Click here for a great selection of coins featuring color enamel!

Packaging
Each coin is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and protected by a black outer sleeve. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Click here for all coins in the Great Lakes Enameled program!