Always having multiple subscription series on the go at any one time, no mint uses this way of selling coins as much as the Royal Canadian Mint does. It’s a decent idea as long as the collector wants the whole set. The mint gets a good indicator of what collectors are looking for as subscriptions tend not to fall under the ‘impulse buy’ category, and collectors get the guarantee that they won’t miss a coin, as well as a nice box free of charge to hold them all.

A good selection of new starts this month; dinosaurs, wildlife, ships, and even more wildlife. All are popular categories, and while none of these really push the envelope in any unusual ways, all are of a good quality and likely to be popular. Priced to suit all pockets from under $50 to almost $2700, silver and gold, clean and coloured, it’s hard to complain about choice. All are available to order now, and all are available to buy individually if a single coin takes your fancy.

PREDATOR VS PREY 0.5g GOLD

The rise of the 0.5g gold coin continues with the RCM now even giving them subscription sets. We’re big fans here and the format clearly strikes a chord with those that want to buy gold but have a limited budget. Really nice coin with an innovative collectors box. At $79.95 they’re expensive if you compare to the spot price, but not so bad when you consider it’s a proof finish commemorative. Future coins are the Arctic Hare (May), followed by Inuit-style coins depicting the Fox (Sept) and the Hare (Nov).

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Scientists have long recognized the role of predators and prey in maintaining nature’s delicate balance. Without a predator, prey would overrun the ecosystem they inhabit. Without prey, there would be no food source to support the predators.

This relationship between all members of the food chain is a fundamental truth among Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, who have known for millennia that the survival of one species is inextricably linked to the survival of another.

This series explores the predator–prey relationship between the Arctic fox and the Arctic hare, featuring four intricately carved pure gold coins that portray each species in a classic pose and then re-interpreted them as Inuit art. It is a tribute to two remarkable species that have adapted to their extreme Arctic environment to fulfill their special roles as guardians of nature’s balance.

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Pierre Leduc, the first coin in your subscription features a side-profile view of an Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), depicted here in the style of a traditional wildlife portrait. Meticulous engraving recreates the fox’s features with extraordinary precision on such a small canvas, giving it a life-like quality that beautifully captures the texture of its thick, winter coat. Standing still in the wintry landscape, the fox’s small, rounded ears are alert as it quietly steadies its gaze on its prey beyond the image field.

PACKAGING: Elegant display case complete with a built-in magnified display to showcase every coin in full detail!

SPECIFICATION

DAY OF THE DINOSAURS: TERROR OF THE SKY

We’re huge fans of prehistoric creatures on coins and it’s good to see the RCM tap into the rich source of these ancient animals as Canada has plenty. At ½oz in weight and a touch under $45, these are affordable enough, but on balance I think I’d have personally preffered it to be clean struck instead of coloured. Still a fine design, however.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Millions of years ago, when the Rocky Mountains had barely begun to form and much of North America’s interior lay beneath a great sea, prehistoric Canada was home to an astounding array of dinosaurs.

Some were small and swift, others were ferocious giants—and you can meet three of them with this awe-inspiring series of fine silver coloured coins, starting with Quetzalcoatlus, the terror of the sky!

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Dino Pulerà, the first coin in your subscription features an intricately engraved rendition of how a Quetzalcoatlus likely appeared, and was reviewed for scientific accuracy by palaeontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. The use of selective colour brings this long-gone species to life in incredible detail; soaring with only an occasional flap of its enormous wings, the terrifyingly large reptile keeps one wing bent towards the viewer while the left wing is outstretched. Its long, pointed beak is open wide, releasing a cry into the wind as it prepares to swoop down to find prey. The coin’s own silver surface recreates radiant rays of bright sunlight peeking through the clouds above the distant mountains, which convey how high the plane-sized creature would soar above the conifer forest below.

PACKAGING: Get a free collector case with your third coin.

SPECIFICATION

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LANDSCAPE ILLUSION: MOUNTAIN GOAT

A very nice, intriguing set that moves away from the usual depiction of Canadian wildlife into something more cryptic and innovative. This one is the first in a five-coin series and depicts a Mountain Goat. Images of all five are below and there are a couple of particularly good designs in amongst them. An ounce in weight and a tad under a hundred Canadabucks.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Shadows, lines, shapes and highlights come together in perfect unison to create an optical illusion, tricking the brain into seeing something that isn’t there. Or is it?

This exciting new coin series uses the fascinating art of illusion to celebrate Canada’s natural heritage with unprecedented and utterly captivating designs. Each coin features an image of the Canadian landscape and combines natural elements to create an optical illusion of wildlife—a Mint first!

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Julius Csotonyi, the first coin in this subscription features an alpine scene beautifully crafted in colour. It is late spring and some lingering snow still covers the ground. Mountains rise to the left and right while a ridge of moraine from retreating glaciers dominates the centre of the scene. The ancient mound has long been reclaimed by nature, and is now covered with grass and spruce trees, but on closer examination, a mountain goat emerges from its sloping side. The goat’s body is shaped by melting snow and exposed stone, while the trunks of wind-worn spruce trees stand as its legs and horns.

PACKAGING: Your visual adventure begins with the customized display case that you will receive when you subscribe to the complete Landscape Illusions Series. It has an acrylic, semi-transparent lid with a silhouette design of a tree and all five animals hidden among the branches—a captivating and unforgettable presentation! This case is shipped with the first coin for the 5-coin subscription program.

SPECIFICATION

TALL SHIPS LEGACY: BLUENOSE

A rare 1oz gold coin series from the RCM, this one depicts some of beautiful sailing vessels from the past. A 4-coin series with a strict mintage limit of just 275 pieces each, the mint has gone with a very traditional gloss wood box to hold the series in, which comes free with the first coin. At $2699.95, they’re relatively pricey, but helped out by the weak Canadian dollar at the moment. Sailing vessels seem to make great coin designs, and these are no exception.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: Billowing sails and towering masts evoke awe and admiration as they harken back to the golden age of sail: a time when magnificent tall ships were key to harvesting the riches of the sea, exploring unknown worlds and opening new channels of trade.

This exceptional series pays tribute to humanity’s remarkable ability to harness the wind with four coins celebrating iconic tall ships that have shaped Canada’s social, cultural, economic and political fabric.

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Neil Hamelin, your coin features a starboard side view of Canada’s iconic schooner, the Bluenose, under full sail and heeled at a distinctive racing angle. The legendary racing ship and working fishing vessel is brought to life through intricate engraving that captures her likeness in outstanding detail, including the rigging and even the dories on deck. Atop the foremast and mainmast, the Canadian Red Ensign and the Flag of Nova Scotia flap in the wind that fills the ship’s eight sails, as the Bluenose charges for victory in the waters of the North Atlantic.

The Bluenose had to be competitive for racing purposes, but the Bluenose was also designed to be a working fishing craft. The salt banker schooner proved her worth in her first season at sea by sailing into port with remarkably large cargoes of cod and groundfish from the Grand Banks, and would land a record haul in 1923. Yet her racing feats would soon eclipse any other success when, in October 1921, she claimed her first of five victories in the International Fishermen’s Race—and a Canadian racing legend was born.

As the fishing industry declined in the 1930s, the Bluenose transitioned to a role as a show vessel and floating ambassador, representing Canada at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933 and in the Silver Jubilee celebrations for King George V and Queen Mary in 1935. Another racing victory came in 1938 but by 1939, the Bluenose was out of work and at risk of being auctioned off. The outbreak of the Second World War and the shift to motorized schooners meant retirement for both the fishing vessel and her captain; sold to the West Indies Trading Company in 1942, the Bluenose sailed as a freighter in the Caribbean until 1946, when she tragically struck a coral reef and sunk in the waters off of Haiti.

PACKAGING: A timeless and elegant wooden case is included with each subscription, allowing these grand vessels to be the subject of admiration and awe once again—this time, as a treasured part of your collection.

SPECIFICATION

MAJESTIC ANIMALS: RED TAILED KITE

Last, but not least is the RCM’s new wildlife series, a speciality of the mint. A set of five 1oz coins, selectively coloured, there’s nothing unusual about them, but they do make a fine looking collection, especially the second coin depicting the Lynx. The $99.95 coins will be released over the year, after this one comes coins in May, July, September and October. The box comes free with the second coin.

MINTS DESCRIPTION: The 5-coin Majestic Animal subscription features five animals, each beautifully painted on fine silver! A perfect gift for someone who enjoys how the Royal Canadian Mint depicts animals on silver coins.

DESIGN: Designed by Canadian artist Emily Damstra, your coin uses selective colour to highlight the engraved depiction of a red-tailed hawk in its natural setting. In a unique twist, this large, broad-shaped bird is viewed from the perspective of its prey, as though the viewer were staring up at the sky from ground level; the hawk is depicted in a controlled dive on outstretched wings, with talons ready and a fixed gaze that conveys the strength, fierceness and determination associated with this species. Intricate engraving recreates the smallest of details—from the softly feathered legs to the textured appearance of its overlapping feathers—while the selective application of reddish-brown, cream and yellow colours recreate the whitish underbelly and predominantly brown-spotted patterning of the western subspecies (Buteo jamaicensis calurus). In the background, the towering peaks and trees of Western Canada rise up beneath the great expanse of sky—a fitting, grand setting for this celebration of a majestic species.

PACKAGING: Get a free collector case with your second coin.

SPECIFICATION