2024 $20 Fine Silver Coin Amber Valley - Commemorating Black History

They headed north to Canada and to northern Alberta, lured by the promise of land and guided by the hope of a better life free from racial violence. This 2024 $20 fine silver 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 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 obverse features a repeating maple leaf field pattern and the (posthumous) effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

• Weight: one ounce of fine silver   
• Diameter: 38 mm 
• Mintage: 5,500  
• GST/HST exempt

Includes: 
• 2024 $20 Fine Silver Coin Amber Valley - Commemorating Black History 

Warranty Information: 
This product comes with a 30-day warranty through TSC.