Royal Canadian Mint

20 dollars

7,96 g

27 mm

Silver 999,9°

250000 pcs.

Specimen finished background

Emily S. Damstra

Royal Canadian Mint

The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. This design features the polar bear in a setting where it is not often shown, but for which it is so well adapted – in the water. Shown in an unusual perspective swimming toward the viewer, the bear is nonetheless immediately recognizable by the shape of its head, turned to one side. A large and powerful forepaw reaches forward, displaying the bear’s claws and conveying its strength in the water as it paddles.”

Canada’s polar bears comprise more than half of the entire world population and they live primarily in the coastal regions of the Arctic, depending upon sea ice to hunt the ringed seal. The polar bear’s adaptations to its carnivorous lifestyle in the frozen north include a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, dense water-repellent fur the colour of snow, fur on the bottoms of its paws for traction and warmth, sharp claws, and an elongated body and huge forepaws that make polar bears great swimmers.