Nature coins are always popular, and there’s a huge variety of designs and styles, often of a wildly varying quality, on the market today. There are shaped coins, dimensional ones, and a plethora of coloured efforts, but for us, nothing beats a cleanly struck proof coin that’s focused on the artwork, and what better way to get the best art for your coin than to tap into the talents of one of the best wildlife artists.

For this new one-kilogram gold coin, the Royal Canadian Mint has returned to the talents of Robert McLellan Bateman CM OBC RCA., The man, now 92 years old, has dedicated his life to the natural world, using his art, primarily through The Bateman Foundation, to connect people with the natural world. His body of work is quite sublime, so the toughest decision the mint has is just what image to use.

Called Vantage Point – Bald Eagle, this 1980 painting depicts a Bald Eagle at rest on the moss-covered stump of a tree. It surveys the sea and the rocky beach. A terrific atypical piece, the original was 36″ x 60″ in size, but the RCM has done a top job cropping the best of it to fit the circular metal canvas of the coin’s reverse face, no doubt helped by the generous 106.1 mm diameter of it. We absolutely love it.

Given the weight of the coin, and the almost $100,000 CAD price tag, the mintage of just 50 pieces should come as little surprise. Despite that, it’s listed as sold out, and we suspect many were pre-sold. Whoever was lucky enough to get one, we suspect, is very pleased with the decision to buy it. They come in a wooden box, with a Certificate of Authenticity that depicts the original picture. The foundation has a 36″ x 60″ signed canvas print for sale at a comparatively sedate $1895 if you’re interested.

Available now, these are very well presented in a solid acrylic frame which makes display a doddle. The mintage of 2,000 isn’t high given the subject matter. A fourth coin, The Kiss, should be along in the next couple of months to round out a super series for the comic book fan.