Canada 2016 Call of the Wild: Roaring Grizzly Bear $200 Gold Proof Coin

Description:

The Canada Grizzly Bear Proof $200 Gold Coin is the third issue in the three-piece “Call of the Wild” series honoring Canada’s diverse and beautiful wildlife. Each coin is made from 0.99999–or “five nines”–gold and has a face value of $200, the highest face value of any 1-ounce gold legal tender bullion coin. The Grizzly Bear gold coin features a creature that many people fear. However, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) is actually a reserved, solitary animal that leads a relatively subdued life in the forests and mountainous areas of Canada’s northwestern and northern mainland regions.

Interestingly, grizzly bears – classified as apex predators – receive about 90 percent of their nourishment through the consumption of vegetation. Nevertheless, they do prey on other wildlife, principally moose, elk, caribou, and deer. Urbanization and climate change are two of the biggest threats that grizzly bears face, and their populations are also being reduced through hunting and incidents with motor vehicles.

Obverse:

Susanna Blunt designed the obverse portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, which appears on all Canadian coins. This particular rendition of the Queen’s likeness has appeared on Canada’s coins since 2003, when the monarch’s effigy was updated for the third time, with previous updates in 1965 and 1990.

Her Majesty has appeared on Canadian coinage since 1953.

The right-facing profile of the Queen is surrounded by the words ELIZABETH II behind her head on the left side of the coin and “D.G. REGINA” on the right side of the coin; D.G. REGINA, the abbreviated form of DEI GRATIA REGNA, is a Latin phrase that means “Queen by the grace of God”. Susanna Blunt’s initials “SB” are on the Queen’s right shoulder.

The 2003-present Queen Elizabeth II profile is the first since the 1953-64 type to show the Queen without a tiara or crown, recalling the effigy of George VI, who also chose to be portrayed absent a crown.

Reverse:

The reverse of the 2016 Grizzly Bear gold coin was designed by Pierre Leduc, who created the striking portrait of a grizzly bear raising its head mid-growl. The large beast, exposing sharp teeth in its opened mouth, appears before a series of thick, curved lines indicating the auditory percussions produced by the roaring, thick-furred bear. The animal’s small, fur-covered ears and compact, round eyes are typical of the species.

The words FINE GOLD 99999 1 OZ OR PUR are centered along the rim along the bottom half of the coin while CANADA is inscribed at the top of the coin along the rim, right above the grizzly bear. Pierre Leduc’s initials “PL” are seen between the bottom ends of the third and fourth lines on the right side of the reverse.

Errors & Varieties:

56 of the Canada Grizzly Bear $200 Gold Proof Coins are known to contain a computer-assisted design (CAD) error encompassing the remnants of a Maple Leaf security mark. When present, the error straddles the lower portion of the fifth and sixth curved lines from the right side of the coin’s reverse. This Maple Leaf security mark is supposed to be placed on the bullion version and should not have been evident on any of the proof coins.

Designer(s): Susana Blunt is a Canadian artist and coin designer. Her portrait of Queen Elizabeth has appeared on Canadian coin designs since 2003 (VIEW DESIGNER’S PROFILE). Pierre Leduc is a wildlife painter who began his professional art career as a scientific illustrator while earning a degree in Biology at the University of Québec at Trois-Rivières.

Coin Specifications: