Obverse: The centre of the coin features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Canadian artist Susanna Blunt. The Queen is depicted in right-facing profile, wearing a pearl necklace and earrings. Surrounding the portrait are the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II”, “D. G. REGINA”, meaning “Queen by the Grace of God”, the face value “5 DOLLARS”, and the year of issue “2015”.
Reverse: The centre of the coin depicts a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) in flight, with its wings fully spread and sharp talons extended to seize its prey. Finely engraved details of the feathers, wings and piercing gaze capture the strength and hunting abilities of this impressive bird of prey. The upper section bears the inscription “CANADA” and the silver fineness “9999”, while the lower section reads “FINE SILVER 1 OZ ARGENT PUR”, indicating one troy ounce of pure silver. The designer's initials “ED” are visible on the left.
About the coin: Issued in 2015 by the Royal Canadian Mint, the “Great Horned Owl” silver coin belongs to the popular “Birds of Prey” bullion coin series. This four-coin series was released between 2014 and 2015 and celebrates some of Canada's most impressive birds of prey. The reverse design was created by Canadian artist Emily Damstra. The great horned owl is one of the most widespread owls in North America, recognised by the distinctive feather tufts on its head that resemble horns. Thanks to its excellent hearing, vision and almost silent flight, this bird is an exceptionally effective nocturnal hunter. The coin is struck from 999.9 fine silver, weighs 1 troy ounce (31.1 g), has a diameter of 38 mm, carries a face value of 5 Canadian dollars, and has a limited mintage of 1,000,000 pieces. Its limited mintage, high silver purity and striking wildlife design make it appealing to both investors and collectors.
