Precious Metals

RCM honors Canada’s wildlife in silver, gold

To shine the spotlight on Canadian wildlife, the Royal Canadian Mint went to Berlin.

The RCM on Feb. 5 announced its new silver and gold bullion coins during the World Money Fair, which since 2006 has been held in Germany’s capital.

The new coins include the first coin in a planned series of Predator 1-ounce .9999 fine silver $5 bullion coins. The first of what will be four releases celebrates the cougar.

The Predator series celebrates some of Canada’s most impressive animals of prey. 

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The first coin features the fearsome sight of a leaping cougar, in a design from Canadian coin designer and nature illustrator Emily Damstra. 

Coins from this new silver bullion series will be produced to a maximum mintage of 1 million (the same maximum mintage as several earlier specialty bullion coin programs from the RCM).

In addition, the RCM is issuing the Roaring Grizzly 1-ounce .99999 fine gold $200 coin, the latest in its Call of the Wild series.

The 2016 gold $200 coin represents the highest legal tender value among the world’s 1-ounce gold bullion coins. 

The coin’s reverse is designed by Canadian artist Pierre Leduc, who illustrates an ominous grizzly bear, backed by lines representing the sound waves of his roar. 

This gold bullion coin is presented in credit card-style packaging and will be produced to demand.

Both these coins feature the addition of a micro-engraved maple leaf Mint mark for enhanced security and continue to include the Radial Line Finish as an added security measure. 

Canada’s first bullion coins — Maple Leaf .999 fine gold coins — debuted in 1979. The coins in time became the finest purity (.9999 fine) gold bullion coins available and led Canada to  expand its bullion offerings to include silver, platinum, and palladium bullion coins in several different series, as well as .99999 fine gold offerings.

In keeping with a distribution model common to the world’s major issuers of bullion coins, the RCM does not sell bullion directly to the public. Interested buyers can contact a reputable bullion dealer to order these new gold and silver bullion coins. 


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