500 Dollars - Elizabeth II Mythical Realms of the Haida: The Eagle

Haida Gwaii is a place of astounding natural beauty; a land of ancient legends where mythical beings move about in the guise of familiar animals from our three-dimensional world. This mesmerizing new coin series portrays three of the most powerful supernatural beings from the realms of water, earth and sky.

Haida artist April White—Sgaana Jaad of the Yaghu’jaanaas Raven Clan—has created a mesmerizing image of an eagle dancing in the sky. Look closely and you will see a human form hidden beneath the eagle “cloak.”
He articulates his arms inside the wings so they powerfully rise and fall with power to propel him upward with strength and command. As the Eagle readies himself to dance in the sky realm his voice sounds, while his feet in the talons keep the beat of a drum. He wears a dance apron tied around his waist—adorned with a salmon head design—it is at once dance regalia and tail feathers. The Eagle’s nighttime flight is illuminated by the light of a full moon that is represented by the circular outline of the design that also frames the eagle’s silhouette.