3709) Commemorating Black History: Amber Valley - The Sixth Coin in the Series: A 1 oz. Fine Silver Coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM): Date/Year of Coin issue: 2024:
Discover the story of one of western Canada’s largest all-Black settlements - Amber Valley:
They headed North to Canada, lured by the promise of land and guided by the hope of a better life free from racial violence.
Arriving in Amber Valley (formerly Pine Creek), Alberta, the Black settlers worked hard to establish a thriving community, some 300 people strong, blazing a trail as they went and building a rich legacy through their achievements.
The 2024 Commemorating Black History coin brings to life an often-overlooked story from Canada’s immigration history.
Its finely engraved Reverse captures the spirit of Amber Valley—one of the largest Black settlements in western Canada during the early 20th century—and honours the Black pioneers who persevered through hardships and hostility, facing down discrimination and building up a foundation for future generations.
Most of those who settled in Amber Valley sought to escape escalating racial violence and segregation in the Southern United States.
Seizing on the Canadian government’s promises of cheap land, founding families made the trek north in 1910, crossing the border and boarding a train bound for Edmonton, then travelling by wagon train to Pine Creek, where they set out to convert the land and build a community from the ground up.
The first wave of Black settlers endured harsh weather, long days of clearing land that had been rejected by European homesteaders, and racial hostilities that led to the active discouragement of Black immigration to Canada by 1912.
Still, the residents of Pine Creek—re-named Amber Valley in 1931—persevered and Canada’s northernmost all-Black community thrived, its population peaking at 300 residents.
The bustling community gradually went into decline after the Second World War, as residents moved to larger urban centres to find work. Its school closed in the 1950s and the post office was shut down in 1968; today, only a few weathered buildings remain, but the memory and spirit of Amber Valley endure.
The Commemorative Coin: Commemorating Black history:
This is the sixth coin in the annual Commemorating Black History Coin Series, which recalls the enormous contributions that Black Canadians have made - and continue to make - to Canada’s heritage.
It is a celebration of resilience, innovation and determination.
The design is centred on a family portrait that represents the spiritual heart of the story: the Black homesteaders who founded Amber Valley (formerly Pine Creek) in 1909 and built a thriving community. Enhanced with flourishes inspired by ads promoting western settlement, the map outline of the province of Alberta provides geographical context, while beneath the settlers, the buildings form an artistic representation of Amber Valley.
Along the bottom of the coin design is a depiction of a wagon train making its way across the rugged terrain of northern Alberta—a representation of the settlers’ pioneering spirit and resilience, and of their long journey North.
The peripheral inscriptions are - ELIZABETH II. 2024. D.G. REGINA. 20 DOLLARS."
Coin Highlights:
- Crafted in 1 oz. of 99.99% pure silver, this coin recalls the community of Amber Valley, one of the largest all-Black settlements in Western Canada in the early 20th century.
- An important story. This is the first time Amber Valley has been highlighted on a Mint coin, and its reverse design combines different engraved images to create a compelling snapshot in time and a glimpse of Amber Valley’s past.
- Low mintage. Only 5,500 coins are available to collectors worldwide.
- Includes serialised certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
- Packaging - The coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.
- Highly intricate design - From the ornamental flourishes to the representation of some of Amber Valley’s earliest buildings, every engraved detail has historical meaning.
- The focus is on history - To keep the focus on the Amber Valley community, the only word engraved on the reverse is “CANADA” - the date and face value are inscribed on the obverse.
- Maple leaf pattern - As with previous Commemorating Black History coins, the 2024 edition features a symbol of Canada on its obverse, where the maple leaf forms a repeating pattern that fills the field.
- Between 1905 and 1912, up to 1,500 Black Americans migrated to Western Canada, where they primarily settled in Campsie, Junkins (now Wildwood), Keystone (now Breton) and Pine Creek (Amber Valley) in Alberta, and Maidstone in Saskatchewan.
The specifications of the Silver Coin are:
Country of issue: Canada; Minted by: Royal Canadian Mint (RCM); Mintage: 5,500 pieces; Metal Composition: 99.99% pure silver (Ag); Weight: 31.39 g or 1.00 Oz; Diameter/Size: 38.00 mm; Edge: Serrated; Denomination/Face Value: $20 (Twenty Dollars); Coin Quality/Finish: Proof (P); Packaging: Black clamshell with black beauty box; Designer(s): Valentine De Landro (Reverse), Susanna Blunt (Obverse)
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