Canada 10 Dollars Silver Coloured Hologram Coin 2015 The Pygmy Snaketail
The beautifully coloured pygmy snaketail (Ophiogomphus howei) is a rare sight in most areas—except for those lucky enough to spot it near the fast-moving rivers of New Brunswick and northwestern Ontario. But with this dazzling holographic coin, the brightly-coloured dragonfly is forever immortalised for all to admire!
The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
Designed by Canadian artist Celia Godkin, your coin offers a rare opportunity to view the pygmy snaketail (Ophiogomphus howei), as it would appear in its natural habitat. This painted dragonfly faces the viewer and seemingly peers out from the image with its large eyes; its beautiful green colouring extends from its head through its thorax towards its dorsal abdomen, where the green is replaced with yellow markings along the side. The dragonfly's delicately veined wings are fully extended as it basks in the warming rays of the mid-June sun amidst the green leaves and violet-blue flowers of the pickerelweed. In the background, a shimmering full-colour hologram recreates the pygmy snaketail's natural habitat, adding movement to the design.
• This rare dragonfly species spends much of its adult life in the forests, not far from the water where it lived for two years as a larva.
• As a flying adult, the pygmy snaketail will only live 6 to 8 weeks; most become prey to birds, wasps and larger dragonflies.
• The first sighting of this species in Canada was reported in 2002, when it was identified along New Brunswick's Saint John River.
• When reproducing, the female dips her abdomen into the water to lay her eggs; these are then carried downstream by the current before they eventually sink into the riverbed!
• During the day, pygmy snaketail larvae burrow into the sand or gravel; they surface again at night, drifting with the current and feasting on other invertebrates and fish larvae.
Mintage: 10000.
Composition: 99.99% pure silver.
Finish: proof.
Weight: 15.87 g.
Diameter: 34 mm.
Edge: serrated.
Face value: 10 Canadian Dollars.
Artist: Celia Godkin (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse).
Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint.
Special features:
• The third coin in the Royal Canadian Mint's exciting Dragonflies series, which features painted images of dragonflies set against a hologram background image of their natural habitat.
• As the coin is tilted back and forth, the hologram technology—which represents its natural habitat—captures the full rainbow spectrum of colours from any light source.
• This coin is 99.99% pure silver, with limited worldwide mintage of 10,000 coins.
• An exquisite addition to any nature-themed or specialty coin collection.
