Call it a premonition, coincidence or just plain fate.
But when nine-year-old Sarah Koss read a story about a young girl’s father who painted the design for a coin, she thought that would be very cool if that happened to her.
That was 14 years ago. But the story stuck with her.
Now 23, that story did in fact play out in Sarah’s life. Last year her mom—Kelowna painter Laurie Koss—was asked by the Royal Canadian Mint to submit a painting of a flower for the design of the 2015 $20 fine silver coin. This week that painting, reproduced on a collector’s coin, was released by the Mint as part of a series featuring some of Canada’s most beloved flowers.
“I used to read American Girl magazine all the time and I still have piles of them in the basement,” said Sarah this week of the story that stuck with her. “That was the one article that really stood out to me. I just thought it was so cool.”
So it was an amazing feeling for Sarah when her dream became a possibility last year when the Royal Canadian Mint approached her mother to design a painting for the sixth coin in what has become a highly sought after series of fine silver coins.
“It’s a bit surreal really,” said Sarah. “I don’t know why that stuck out in my mind but it did. It’s funny. Who knows if I had a premonition or something. I’m just so proud of my mom.”
And well she should be.
The release of the silver coin—a collector’s item that retails for $119.95—comes less than a year after Koss also designed a stamp for Canada Post.
Both the stamp and the coin feature Koss’ trademark floral paintings. After this year’s stamp was released featuring a pansy, Koss designed the coin painting a flower known as a black-eyed Susan with twelve bright yellow petals spread out from the prominent dark brown centre.
Once the coin was released this week, Sarah posted a status on Facebook about her earlier experience of reading that story as a child and her wish that one of her parents could make that happen for her.
She called it a dream come true. And mom Laurie was thrilled.
“The fact my daughter would read a story at age nine and to actually have it come true is bizarre,” said Laurie. “It just warmed my heart to read that. It’s hard to describe my feelings. I’m very honoured and a little choked up. I feel incredibly blessed.”
The 2015 Black Eyed Susan, with crystal dew drops, coin is available at any post office or at mint.ca.
