The Royal Canadian Mint has unveiled its sixth and final installment in the Canadian Wildlife Series: the 2013 Canadian Wood Bison. All six coins in the wildly popular series contain One Troy Ounce of .9999 Fine Silver and have a face value of $5.
The uniquely Canadian Wood bison is the largest herbivorous mammal to roam the prairies of North America, the reverse of each Canadian Silver Bison features a buffalo in stride, hiking across a snow-covered prairie, evergreens just behind him. The wood bison is a distinct northern subspecies of the American bison and is currently listed as a threatened species.
The reverse is also inscribed with the words 9999 FINE SILVER 1 OZ ARGENT PUR, along with the initials ED after the coin’s designer, Emily S. Damstra. Damstra is a Canadian science illustrator who also designed the Canadian Silver Pronghorn Antelope.
The obverse of each 2013 Canadian Silver Bison features Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, originally designed by famed portrait-artist Susanna Blunt. The obverse has also been inscribed with the words 5 DOLLARS, ELIZABETH II and 2013.
The Royal Canadian Mint has released five Canadian Wildlife Coins prior to the Silver Bison, including the wolf, grizzly, cougar, moose and antelope. The North American Wood Bison is an iconic figure in Canadian culture: as Manitoba’s official animal, the buffalo appears on the province’s flag, along with the coat of arms of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
The 2013 Canadian Silver Bison will be available through Provident Metals’ secure online ordering system several weeks prior to its official release. Like previous Wildlife designs, the Silver Bison will be issued in extremely limited quantities—making it one of the most sought-after, collectible coins of the year.
