Canada 20 Dollars Silver Coloured Coin 2015 Alpha Wolf
About the Design: Designed by Canadian artist Maurade Baynton, your coin features a lone wolf (Canis lupus) rendered in striking detail through expert engraving, which affords us a unique close-up view of the wolf’s characteristics. Here, our fearless hunter is perched on a rocky slope and holds its steely gaze as it surveys its remote territory and the horizon beyond the image field. The application of selective colouring allows the viewer to glimpse the wolf’s fine features and its handsomely coloured fur that allows this fearless carnivore to blend in with its surroundings. Behind the wolf, a mountain range looms over the river that winds through the forest valley below, with tall timbers that only add to the majesty of this natural setting.
Mintage 6500
Composition 99.99% pure silver
Finish proof
Weight 31.39 g
Diameter 38 mm
Edge serrated
Face value 20 Canadian Dollars.
Artist Maurade Baynton (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint.
An impressive addition to your nature-, wilderness- or Canadiana-themed collection!
Special features:
• A striking design that conveys the strength and beauty of the wolf as a fearless hunter that makes its home in remote areas across Canada.
• The finely detailed design exemplifies the Royal Canadian Mint's internationally renowned artistry and craftsmanship.
• A mix of traditional engraving, high-definition colour and an immaculate proof finish combine to create a stunning wildlife portrait.
• A rich colour application over the struck components of the design recreates the wolf’s natural colouring, and brings added depth and definition to the wolf’s beautiful surroundings.
• An outstanding addition to your wildlife-, nature- or Canadiana-themed collection.
Thanks to its remarkable intelligence and keen senses, the wolf (Canis lupus) is a fearless hunter that plays an important role in its region’s biodiversity. Guardian of its territory in remote regions throughout Canada—from Labrador to British Columbia, and north—the wolf’s weariness of human contact and its general elusiveness give it an air of mystery that only adds to the reverence and fear many feel towards this apex predator. As a symbol of Canada’s untamed wilderness, the Royal Canadian Mint pays tribute to the mighty wolf with this stunning coin.
Measuring up to 90 centimetres in height at the shoulders and 200 centimetres from snout to bushy tail, the wolf’s appearance is comparable to that of a large German shepherd, but with a broader skull. Swiftly moving on its powerful legs and large feet, the wolf uses its sense of smell to pick up its prey’s scent, its acute hearing to detect it from far away, its eyesight to perceive the slightest movement... and its strong jaw to waste very little of its hard-earned meal.
• The wolf is the largest wild dog species; based on genetics, many scientists believe the domestic dog descended from the wolf.
• Hunting in packs of up to 12 individuals allows the wolves to chase large prey: deer, mountain goats, elk, moose, caribou, bison, etc.
• Taking cues from the pack’s leader (or alpha male), the wolves will either take turns chasing their prey to the point of its exhaustion, or will lead it into a planned ambush.
• The wolf typically trots at speeds of up to 16 kilometres per hour; it reserves its top speeds of up to 70 kilometres per hour when closing in on its prey.
