Thanks to a new advanced minting process, this extra thick coin features two distinctly separate layers of engraving a cutout with a background etched on the coin’s interior surface. The top element of the multilayered engraving showcases a cutout cougar perched on a branch, while the second layer presents a forest setting in Western Canada. Mintage is limited to 1,500. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
This new minting technology was first introduced on a 2019 dated three ounce $2 polar bear design coin from the Royal Canadian Mint’s R&D Lab collection. This coin sold out immediately and now sells in the secondary market for about $1500. By using multiple layers, the coin adds additional design space, depth perspective and levels of interest. In this case, the cougar that cuts away to a sweeping view of its forest surroundings.
The wildlife design by Canadian artist Denis Mayer Jr. features a cutout of a cougar perched on a branch. Behind it, the coin’s interior surface provides a separate base layer for an engraved rendering of a forest setting in Western Canada. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
The Cougar:
The cougar is Canada’s largest wild cat and the second-largest in the Western Hemisphere (the jaguar is bigger). Given that its range extends from the Yukon-British Columbia border to southern Argentina, the cougar is known to occupy a variety of habitats—from deserts to tropical rainforests, and the coniferous forest shown on this coin.
