Past and present bloom together - The Blue Flag
Highest standard of fine gold worldwide!
Mintage: 2,006 Composition: 99.999% pure gold Finish: proof Weight (g): 35 Diameter (mm): 34 Edge: serrated Certificate: serialized Face value: $350 Artist: Susan Taylor
2006 99999 Pure Gold Coin - Iris Versicolor
Past and present bloom together - The Blue Flag The stylized fleur de lis that appears on Quebec’s provincial flag has long been associated with France. This heraldic symbol was believed to represent the Madonna Lily (Lilium candidum), a native of southeastern Europe and Asia Minor that was consequently adopted as Quebec’s floral emblem in 1963. The fact that the Madonna Lily is not indigenous to Quebec sparked a move to adopt a new floral emblem that is truly part of the landscape - an undertaking that was further bolstered by growing evidence that the heraldic fleur de lis is not the Madonna Lily, but Iris pseudacorus, a large yellow iris that grows along the Lys River in Flanders. Over time, its common name fleur de la Lys was shortened to fleur de lis. Iris pseudacorus was brought to Quebec, but it does have a cousin that is native to this province - Iris versicolor L. Appropriately called the Blue Flag, this springtime flower has the distinctive shape and arresting blue tones that make it the perfect floral emblem for Quebec. It was officially adopted in 1999.