2014 $20 The Great Lakes: Lake Ontario – Pure Silver Coin

This 2014 $20 fine silver coin is a tribute to the majestic Great Lakes, featuring the stunning Lake Ontario. In the First Nations Huron language, “Ontario” translates to “shining waters”. This coin weighs just over one troy ounce of pure silver and has a limited mintage of 10,000 pieces.

The Design:

The coin is struck in deep negative relief (incuse) to reflect the varying depths of the lake. This unique design resembles a bathymetric map of Lake Ontario and is enhanced with fine lines and ridges that portray the surrounding land’s topography. Vibrant, translucent blue enamel is applied to shimmer like the lake’s surface under sunlight.

Lake Ontario:

The Great Lakes form the world’s largest system of fresh surface water. Comprising five lakes—Ontario, Huron, Michigan, Erie, and Superior—they are so vast they can be seen from space. Together, they hold approximately 20% of the planet’s freshwater supply. Formed by prehistoric glaciers, they span over 243,000 km². This ecosystem showcases significant biological diversity, with over 150 fish and 50 plant species, some of which are unique to this region.

As the easternmost of the Great Lakes, Lake Ontario serves as the last gateway to the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered by the province of Ontario and the state of New York, covering an area of 19,000 km² (with 10,000 km² in Canada). The lake features an elevation of 74 m, a mean depth of 86 m, an impressive length of 311 km, and a width of 85 km. It is recognized as the smallest lake by surface area among the Great Lakes and ranked as the eighth-largest body of fresh water in North America. The water is primarily supplied by the other Great Lakes, flowing through the Niagara River, and it eventually discharges into the St. Lawrence River.

Images from mint.ca – Royal Canadian Mint – Actual product may be different