2004 Special Edition Proof Silver Dollar - The Poppy When John McCrae wrote the famous words, "In Flanders fields the poppies blow…" only destiny knew the impact his words would have on the world. A voice for the anguish McCrae must have felt as he witnessed the horrors of war, In Flanders Fields (1915) also became the voice for the poppy-the humble, blood-red flower that grew to become Canada’s quintessential symbol of remembrance. This was not the first time a link between the poppy and war had been made. A century earlier, a writer during the Napoleonic wars noted how the battlefields became covered with poppies once the fighting was over. Now with the First World War, the battles that took place in Flanders infused the soil with lime that enabled the poppy to thrive in a landscape of destruction. Nature could not have selected a more fitting symbol to solemnize a soldier’s ultimate sacrifice. For McCrae, the poppy was a life-changing sight. Today, it’s a powerful reminder that inspires thousands of people across Canada and increasingly throughout North America to honour the men and women who have given their lives for freedom.
