This 2014 25 cent 99.99% pure gold coin is the third in the Royal Canadian Mint’s best-selling series of 11-millimetre gold coins. The powerful Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is one of Canada’s most distinctive and identifiable wild sheep species. Mintage is 10,000 coins. HST/GST exempt.

The Design:

The reverse design by Emily Damstra, rendered in exceptional detail despite the coin’s miniscule size, features a profile view of the statuesque curly-horned head of an adult Rocky Mountain Bighorn ram. Exquisite detailing highlights the annulus ridges of the regal ruminant’s blunt-ended left horn, which curls to within centimetres of its far-seeing eyes. The animal’s dark, short hair and light-coloured muzzle are brought to life through fine detail and engraving.