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Investors and collectors hoping to find something new to purchase in 2016 got just what they wanted at the World Money Fair in Berlin, Germany. On February 5, 2016, the Royal Canadian Mint unveiled two all-new bullion coin programs, including a .9999 pure silver bullion coin program scheduled to feature four new designs from the RCM.
Leading the charge in this new wildlife-themed series is Canada’s stealthiest and most elusive killer, the cougar. Known as the mountain lion or puma throughout North America, the cougar is the face of an all-new bullion coin program from the Royal Canadian Mint that is sure to attract the attention of numismatists in a heartbeat.
As a brand-new series, there aren’t a lot of facts available about the new coins in the Canadian Predator program. Like some of its predecessors, such as the Canadian Wildlife and Birds of Prey Series, numismatists can expect to see a new creature on the reverse face of the coins each year. The Royal Canadian Mint has not announced how frequently the coins will be released, but numismatists could find two new coins released annually as was the case with both of the aforementioned series.
What is known is that each coin in the series will feature new design on the reverse, have a limited mintage of 1 million coins in total, and contain 1 Troy oz. of .9999 silver. The coins will have the same face value issued as the Canadian Silver Maple Leaf (which also features 1 Troy oz of .9999 pure silver), which is $5 (CAD).
Additionally, the Canadian Silver Predator coin series is scheduled to feature four coins in total. If the RCM releases these coins on a schedule similar to that of the Canadian Wildlife and Birds of Prey coins, you can expect to see two releases in 2016 followed by two further designs in 2017.
For the first coin in the new series, the Royal Canadian Mint chose the fearsome cougar as the face to launch its newest program. The sight of a leaping cougar on the reverse of these 2016 coins was created by nature illustrator and Canadian artist Emily Damstra. Damstra has a long history of productive work with the Royal Canadian Mint, having designed the final two coin releases in the Canadian Wildlife Series and all four in the Birds of Prey Series.
Her image on the reverse face of the 2016 Canadian Silver Predator Cougar coin features the full body of a cougar as it leaps forward toward its prey, claws out and mouth open ready to pounce on its victim. Engravings on this face are standard, and include the nation of issue across the top, with the purity of the coin just below. The coin’s metal content and weight are featured below the cougar design, with a small “ED” initials for the designer to the right of the design.
Royal Canadian Mint security features are also used on this new bullion coin series, with radial lines emanating from the center and covering the entire reverse and obverse face of the coin. Just below the cougar design on these 2016 Canadian Predator coins you’ll find the micro-laser engraved Maple Leaf security mark. This small maple leaf privy features the ever-smaller maple leaf designs, with the year of issue “16” featured in the center of it. This is the latest in counterfeiting measures available from the RCM.
On the obverse you’ll find that familiar right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty’s effigy was created in 2003 by Susanna Blunt, and it features on the obverse of all Canadian currency from the Royal Canadian Mint. It is accompanied by engravings that read “Elizabeth II,” “5 Dollars,” and “D.G. Regina” from left to right across the top of the design, with the year of issue engraved below Her Majesty’s image.
Wildlife-themed coins from the Royal Canadian Mint have been met with immense demand from numismatists in recent years. Dating back to the 2011 introduction of the Canadian Wildlife Series, bullion coins from the RCM with wildlife designs tend to sellout very quickly. When the 2011 Canadian Wolf Coin was released to launch the Wildlife Series, the coins sold out very quickly. Those that are available for sale today often have higher premiums because of the demand for those original designs that launch popular coin programs.
The 2016 Canadian Silver Predator Cougar coin is expected to be met with similar demand, even though its 1 million coin mintage level is much higher than introductory mintages from previous programs.
RCM designers and Damstra selected the cougar as the lead animal in this series because of its beauty and grace. The cougar is found throughout the North American continent, and is the fourth-largest cat in the world today. It is a powerful and elusive beast that is commonly found in areas ranging from Canada’s West Coast to the Rocky Mountain range.
The 2016 Canadian Silver Predator Cougar coins are now on sale with JM Bullion. The coins ship to you in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, indicating no signs of wear and tear are present, but that you may notice breaks in the luster, spotted surfaces, or contact marks from striking.
All 2016 Canadian Silver Predator Cougar coins ship in either an individual flip for single-item purchases, mint-sealed tubes of 25, or Royal Canadian Mint monster boxes containing 500 coins packaged inside their individual sealed tubes.
The second release in the Canadian Silver Predator is that of the Lynx. Again designed by Emily Damstra, the 2017 Canadian Silver Predator Lynx coins have the same purity, weight, and metal content as the debut Cougar Silver Coins, but the Royal Canadian Mint cut the mintage in half for this second release to just 500,000 coins instead of the 1 million mintage for the debut issue.
On the reverse side of the coin is the image of a Lynx as it chases its prey. The coins have the micro-laser engraved maple leaf privy mark that all major silver bullion coins bear. In the center of this, you’ll notice the date mark of “17” under magnification. There are also radial lines in the background field. The Lynx is an elusive wild cat species that is found throughout North America and is considered a medium-sized member of the greater feline species.
For the third release in the Canadian Silver Predator collection, the Royal Canadian Mint partnered with a new artist to create the image of a wild predator on the coin’s reverse. This year’s design comes from Nathalie Legace, and you’ll find her “NL” initials inscribed on the reverse field of the third design in the series. Here, you’ll notice the image of a powerful wolf as it hunts down its prey and prepares to attack. Wolves typically hunt in packs, using the power of numbers to take down larger prey at times, including bears and moose.
The 2018 Canadian Silver Predator coins also feature the micro-laser engraved maple leaf privy and radial lines for enhanced security. There’s another change in mintage with this year’s release as the Royal Canadian Mint again dropped the mintage cap, this time bringing down from 500,000 in the 2017 release to 300,000 coins.
The fourth release in the four-coin Canadian Silver Predator Series features the grizzly bear, the second-largest carnivore on the North American continent behind the polar bear. The 2019 Canadian Silver Grizzly Predator Series coin features a design from Emily Damstra with her “ED” initials on the coin. This makes the third design in the four-coin release designed by Damstra, with only the 2018 release designed by someone else: artist Nathalie Legace.
Grizzly bears are really just North American brown bears, but the westward expedition of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark resulted in the name “grizzly” being attached to the species. The duo spotted the North American brown bear and used the term “grisly” to describe it, which then meant fear-inspiring and now refers to gruesome. On the reverse of the 2019 Canadian Silver Grizzly Predator Series coin is the image of a grizzly bear as it pounces on its prey.
Once again, the coins in this series feature radial lines on the background field of both the reverse and obverse designs. There is also a micro-engraved maple leaf privy mark on the reverse side that includes “19” when viewed under magnification. Mintage for the 2019 coin is set at 500,000, an increase from the previous release in 2018 and return to the 2017 mintage level.
The Royal Canadian Mint is the official sovereign mint of the nation of Canada. It was originally founded during British colonial rule to refine gold, silver, and other precious metals found in the Yukon Territories at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. For the first 70 years of its existence, the RCM operated from its sole facility in the federal capital city of Ottawa.
By the 1970s however, the Royal Canadian Mint was struggling to produce national currency and commemorative coins at its one facility, often turning to the United States Mint for assistance in producing circulation currency as it focused on commemorative programs. In 1980, a second facility opened in Winnipeg to increase production capacity within the Royal Canadian Mint system.
Today it is recognized as one of the world’s finest facilities, regularly producing popular gold and silver bullion coins with minimum purity levels of .9999 fineness, and even a handful of .99999 (99.999%) pure gold coins.
Please feel free to reach out to JM Bullion customer service with any questions about the silver coins in the Canadian Predator Series. You can call our customer service team at 800-276-6508, chat with us live online, or simply send us an email with your inquiries. Our Payment Methods FAQ page is the best place to go for quick answers to your common questions about payment options, purchasing minimums, and any applicable maximums.
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