This 2014 $10 fine silver coin features the iconic Canada Goose. In a land with four well-defined seasons, the Canada goose is one of the great harbingers of nature's cyclical change. As the dawning sun illuminates the frosty grasses of a November morning, trumpeting honks from above send the eye skyward, where Canadians young and old instinctively seek out the distinctive flying "V" of a flock of Canada geese making their southward journey—a sure sign that winter is on its way. In May, as spring's warmth begins its slow spread across the land, the Canada goose chorus begins again. Our native sky voyageurs are returning, pulling a warm summer wind in their wake and defining a connection to the land and its cycles that resonates deeply with Canadians. Mintage is 40,000 coins. HST/GST exempt.

The Design:

The classic engraved art showcases the goose in its natural habitat, its wings outstretched in a stance expressing dominance or warning. Viewed from the back with its wings rendered in fine detail, the goose looks out across marshy waters, its long neck and graceful black head held high. It stands on its legs with its black-tipped white tail raised above the water. Marsh reeds dot the water on both sides of the goose and poke from the water's surface in the background. 

The Canada goose is immediately recognizable with its long black neck, black head with white cheek markings, light-coloured chest, and muscular body. Within the species, a wide range of differences in colouration, size, vocalizations, and wingspan sets each subspecies apart.

Did You Know?
•   The Canada Goose's unique V-shaped flight pattern is believed to facilitate migration by enabling drafting for weaker flyers and aiding communication by the leader.
•   This amazing flyer has been known to travel more than 1,000 kilometres in a 24-hour period.
•   The species' relatively large vocabulary contains 13 distinct calls.
•   Canada geese are so verbose that they begin communicating with their parents while still in the egg, calling out trills of greeting, alarm, or pleasure to their waiting parents.
•   Canada geese mate for life, but will find a new partner if a mate dies.
•   Some conservationists consider the Canada goose's recovery from near-extinction a century ago a success model for wildlife management. The challenge for the species moving forward will be to manage its habitat overlap with humans and keep populations in balance.