This 2016 $20 fine silver coin is the 9th coin in the extremely popular “Baby Animals” series, and features a classic Canadian icon, the common loon with its offspring.  Mintage is limited to just 5,500 coins, which is the lowest mintage for any of the coins in this series. As a pure silver coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is GST/HST exempt. 

The Design:

Highly detailed selective colouring showcases the baby loon in the water next to its mother.  The detailed engraving gives the brown-black downy feathers a soft appearance.  The chick splashes about the water, flapping its wings and raising its webbed feet.  Selective colour extends to the purple flower and green leaf in the foreground.

About the Loon:
Named for their clumsy, awkward appearance when walking on land,  loons have striking red eyes, black heads and necks, and white striping, checkering, and spotting on their backs. They grow up to 91 centimeters (3 feet) in length and weigh up to 5 kilograms (12 pounds), feeding largely on fish and invertebrates, and can dive more than 61 m (200 feet) below the surface of the water in search of food. They make their nests lakeside incubating their eggs for 27 to 30 days, with the hatchlings leaving the nest and capable of flying in about 11 weeks. Their predators are diverse and can strike from all directions as they include gulls, ravens, and crows (from the air), pike (from the water), raccoons, weasels, and skunks (from the land).  They are migratory birds which breed in forested lakes and large ponds, with an average lifespan in the wild of 30 years.