New coin celebrates Inuit Nunangat

Arviat artist Charlotte Karetak helped design the new toonie that is just being put into circulation by the Royal Canadian Mint. The mint has announced that two million colour-enhanced and one million engraved-only toonies, titled Celebrating Inuit Nunangat, will be released. Joining Karetak to design the coin were fellow artists Thomassie Mangiok, Tegan Voisey and Mary Okheena. This makes the toonie the first circulation coin to be designed by more than one artist. Karetak, 28, said the Royal Canadian Mint contacted her about a year ago by email. When she looked at the message, she figured there was no way it was real and didn’t bother to respond. “About a week later they ended up phoning me,” said Karetak. “Once I realized it was real I think I blacked out…

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