Numismatic peek into Canada’s prehistoric past continues with the trilobite Ogygopsis

The second of the Royal Canadian Mint’s excellent Ancient Canada trilogy of coins is released this month and delves further back down the evolutionary timeline from the first release. The trilobite is a popular choice for a coin, both the Mint of Poland and Coin Invest Trust having featured this incredible creature in their flagship nature series.

This one is simpler, eschewing any form of decoration other than an antique finish and looks great as a result. This series is ‘splash-struck’, meaning the die has no bordering rim to ensure the coin maintains a perfectly round shape. As a result, the metal flows out under pressure just slightly, giving each coin an uneven edge that is slightly different, exactly like the brilliant Monnaie de Paris series, Clovis to Republic, and its sequel, Women of France.

An interesting choice of fossil this time, specifically chosen from the collection of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Alberta. Digitally scanned and then reproduced on the coin, there’s no questioning the accuracy of this one, a far cry from some earlier dinosaur coins that exhibited excessive artistic licence. We like it, even though it’s a subtle rather than dramatic choice.

As before, this one-ounce coin is priced at $134.95 CAD and has a mintage of 5,500 pieces. The very cool and neat mini floating frame is back again and in this the coin looks great mixed in with a typical small fossil collection, surely as intended. Just one more coin to go later this year will round out this fine set.

2017 ANCIENT CANADA: OGYGOPSIS SILVER COIN

MINTS DESCRIPTION

In a time that predates the dinosaurs, roughly 500 million years ago, marine invertebrates were the most abundant life forms on Earth. Early arthropods known as trilobites thrived in the ancient seas that covered our planet during the Cambrian Period. Today, their remains are the object of study and fascination—particularly those of the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds, in British Columbia’s Yoho National Park, where “stone bugs” such as Ogygopsis provide a glimpse of life in Ancient Canada!

DESIGN: is based on fossils curated at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, and has been reviewed for scientific accuracy by palaeontologists at the Museum. The rimless coin’s unusual contour is the result of an old coin-minting technique that allows the fine silver to spill out and form an irregular shape, much like an ancient Roman coin. Further bridging the past with the present, a combination of cutting-edge technology and finishing techniques re-create the articulated dorsal exoskeleton of a young Ogygopsis klotzi—specifically, that of a presumed moult. The precision-engraved depiction of these fossils has added shine next to the textured appearance of its rock-like encasement. A patina finish gives the entire design an ancient look and feel, which is enhanced by the use of a prehistoric-looking font on both the reverse and obverse. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

DID YOU KNOW…

  • Ogygopsis klotzi is by far the most abundant species in the Mount Stephen Trilobite Beds—so much so that fossilized specimens are now part of museum collections around the world! Surprisingly, Ogygopsis klotzi is rarely found in the Cambrian rocks elsewhere in North America; nonetheless, it remains one of the most frequently illustrated trilobites, and is easy to recognize thanks to the smooth, oval-shaped exoskeleton, its crescent-shaped cephalon (head), and its segmented thorax.
  • The specimen on your coin is a near life-sized depiction of a young individual, but adult Ogygopsis can measure up to 13 centimetres long. Like today’s lobsters and crabs, Ogygopsis underwent successive moults as it matured: shedding its existing exoskeleton, the soft-bodied arthropod would seek shelter until its new exoskeleton had grown in and hardened. Evidence suggests it wasn’t a predator—certainly not like the fearsomely clawed Anomalocaris canadensis! Instead, Ogygopsis likely moved along the seabed in search of particles of organic matter that have fallen to the bottom of the ocean.

SPECIFICATION

NAME 2017 ANCIENT CANADA
DENOMINATION $20 Canadian
COMPOSITION 0.9999 silver
WEIGHT 31.39 grams
DIAMETER 38.00 mm
FINISH Antique
MODIFICATIONS Splash strike
MINTAGE 5,500
BOX / COA Yes / Yes
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