2020 Canada 2 oz Silver $10 Pulsating Maple Leaf

An RCM first! This coin features a dynamic optical effect on a maple leaf recreated using engineered surface mirror technology. To create this unique take on the classic Silver Maple Leaf design, the Royal Canadian Mint Research and Development Team collaborated with the University of Ottawa’s Centre for Research in Photonics. Together, these innovators created a new technology that generates dynamic optical effects on coins. The technology works by creating sub-millimeter-scale mirrors on the coins. These mirrors are engineered to exact dimensions and orientations, then engraved on the coining dies used to strike the mirror array into the pure Silver blanks. The result: the Silver Maple Leaf on the coin’s reverse appears to expand and contract when you tilt the coin, giving the impression that the maple leaf is pulsating.