Description
This 2014 99.99% pure gold coin with a $25 denomination is part of the Royal Canadian Mint's series "Untamed Canada"; the series is inspired by traditional woodblock art, resulting in bold, graphic interpretations of feral Canadian creatures. Here we see the Canadian wolverine, named gulo gulo in Latin, referring to the apparent gluttonous nature of the Wolverine. Though particularly gluttonous behaviours have not been documented, it appears to eat voraciously when it kills its prey, likely as an adaptation to scarcely-encountered food. The coin is as dramatic as the wolverine itself, and boasts a low mintage of only 1,500. This item features five different finishes in an effort to truly showcase the beauty of the design. The entire "Untamed Canada" series would make a notable addition to any collection of Canadian silver coins. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
Your coin was designed by Canadian artist Tivadar Bote and features the woodblock-style portrait of a wolverine set against a sunburst motif bearing symbolic elements of the wolverine's Canadian habitat. This powerful creature is honoured as it poses in a looming stance on a rock, a sunburst-style design almost haloing its proud head. The outer frame is engraved with the species' Latin name, "GuloGulo," the word "CANADA," the date "2014," and the face value of "20 DOLLARS."
The Wolverine:
The greatest numbers of wolverines anywhere occur in northern Canada, primarily in remote reaches of the northern Boreal Forest. Though this animal is actually the largest land-dwelling species of weasel, it looks more like a small bear. It is known for its ability to kill prey many times larger than itself, such as caribou, moose and elk; there is even a documented instance of a wolverine attacking a polar bear, and then clinging to its throat until it suffocated!
