This 2017 $20 fine silver coin is the second coin in the series Bejeweled Bugs, and features a gemstone-adorned bumble bee on a one ounce fine silver coin. Buzzing from flower to flower, the hard-working bee is a true gem in our gardens and fields, where its quest for nectar makes it a pollinating wonder. This little agricultural helper gets the royal treatment on the coin’s reverse, where an array of genuine gemstones add a colourful sparkle to an exquisite bee poised atop an engraved floral setting. Adding to its collectability, the mintage is extremely limited to just 4,000. As a pure silver coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is HST/GST exempt.

The reverse design, by Canadian artist Jori van der Linde, presents a beautifully stylized portrait of a bee against a decorative floral backdrop. Inspired by tulip blooms and curly pea vines, a contemporary floral pattern provides a whimsical garden setting that includes flowers, leaves and curly flourishes. All are meticulously engraved and crisply defined in a stunning proof finish, which enhances the sparkle of the rhodium-plated bee on the coin’s surface. The jewellery-like piece is adorned with a captivating array of semi-precious and precious gemstones, including: round black sapphire on its head, thorax and abdomen; citrine stones arranged over gold plating to re-create the bee’s characteristic yellow markings; and an array of white topaz that fills the delicate wings and gives them a colourless twinkle, to mimic the luminous effect of sunlight.

A sterling silver chain and bezel kit is available for purchase separately under item BEZEL00138.