The "Igloo" reverse design on this issue was part of the Royal Canadian Mint's push into ultra-high relief and selective plating techniques during the early 2010s, a period when the RCM aggressively expanded its numismatic program to compete in the global collector coin market. The .9999 fineness — four-nines purity — became a deliberate differentiator from the standard .999 silver used by most competing mints.
The translucent insert mimicking ice was achieved through a polymer inlay process the RCM had been refining since roughly 2011.
The "Igloo" reverse design on this issue was part of the Royal Canadian Mint's push into ultra-high relief and selective plating techniques during the early 2010s, a period when the RCM aggressively expanded its numismatic program to compete in the global collector coin market. The .9999 fineness — four-nines purity — became a deliberate differentiator from the standard .999 silver used by most competing mints.
The translucent insert mimicking ice was achieved through a polymer inlay process the RCM had been refining since roughly 2011.