This 2017 $20 fine silver coin features Canada’s largest wild feline – the cougar.  By including a coloured element that rises from the surface of the coin, the big cat appears to be leaping from the scene, right off the coin.  Mintage is limited to 6,000.  HST/GST exempt.

The Design:

The reverse design by Royal Canadian Mint engraver Matt Bowen features a stunning multi-dimensional rendering of a cougar in mid-leap. This shaped element is the product of a process known as thermoforming, which captures the big cat’s likeness in exceptional detail—from the long tail to the large forepaws, and the eyes that guide the hunt. Pushing off its long and muscular hind legs, the embossed cougar springs forward and seemingly leaps out of the coin! Behind it, finely detailed engraving provides an exquisite backdrop for the cougar, which seems perfectly at home in the rocky, semi-open terrain. Selective colour highlights our stealthy hunter by re-creating its reddish-brown fur, its green eyes, and the contrasting colours that mark the muzzle.