Canada 50 Cent Gold Coin 2014 Lobster
Sea Creatures: Lobster
The pride of Atlantic Canada, the lobster (Homarus americanus) has become a cultural icon not only for its appeal to seafood lovers, but also as an important part of the area’s rich marine heritage. This nocturnal crustacean can be found crawling along the seabed of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, where warmer summer temperatures draw it into shallower waters. There in this murky habitat, the lobster’s vision is able to detect movement but little else; instead, it relies on remarkably heightened senses of taste, touch and smell to interact with its environment in ways that scientists are still uncovering today.
Obverse: Susanna Blunt’s design of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Reverse: Designed by Canadian artist Emily Damstra, your coin features a striking three-quarter profile of a Canadian Atlantic lobster. Finely-detailed engraving recreates the lobster’s characteristic features, from the bumpy “teeth” on the claws to the sensory bristles along the edges of its articulated tail. The long pair of antennae, which are sensitive to the touch and chemicals, rise up past the image field while the shorter antennules are pointed forward to help the lobster react to its surroundings. The lobster’s famous claws are prominently displayed; both its large, big-toothed crusher claw and the fine-edged ripper claw are opened slightly, ready to grip any prey encountered as our lobster walks along the seabed on its eight walking legs.
Mintage: 7500.
Composition: 99.99% pure gold.
Finish: proof.
Weight: 1.27 g.
Diameter: 13.92 mm.
Edge: serrated.
Face value: 50 Cents.
Artist: Emily Damstra (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse).
Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint.
• Lobsters are only orange-red once they’ve been cooked—lobsters harvested in Atlantic Canada are typically olive or brownish-coloured.
• If a lobster is cut into two equal halves from head to tail, both would be the mirror image of the other—except for the front claws, which differ in shape to serve different purposes.
• The largest lobster on record was caught off-shore of Nova Scotia, weighing 20.14 kilograms and measuring more than 110 centimetres long—it is believed to have been at least 100 years old!
• If missing a leg or claw, the lobster has the ability to regenerate it when it moults.
• Lobsters moult by crawling out of their old shell; this briefly leaves them soft-shelled, but before the new shell hardens completely, they use sea water to fill extra space to allow for growth.
• The lobster is an active hunter with a varied diet that includes crab, shellfish, marine worms and more; they will even scavenge the remains of other sea organisms to feast upon.
• Just like humans, the lobster can be right or left-handed depending on which side its crusher claw is on!
Special features:
• Superior craftsmanship recreates the lobster’s unique characteristics in great detail on a remarkably small canvas.
• A beautiful frosted finish brings added dimension and depth to the striking design
• A timeless keepsake that celebrates an iconic sea creature that is the pride of Atlantic Canada and a staple of Canada’s fishing industry.
