The Royal Canadian Mint released a new, limited-edition coin as part of its Canadian Wildlife 9999 pure silver bullion series today.
The 2012 'Cougar' joins two preceding coins in the six coin series: 2011 'Timber Wolf' and 'Grizzly Bear', with another coin to be dated for 2012 and two more for 2013. You can see the previous coins here.
It has a face value of $5 on the reverse with a picture of Queen Elizabeth II and the year. While it may only say it's worth $5, it would more likely sell for around $42, based on demand and the cost of silver.
The coin is 99.99 per cent pure silver, and will be limited to a mintage of only one million coins, which is a relatively low quantity when it comes to coin collecting. In comparison, the silver American Eagle coin had a mintage of 29 million over the eight months of 2011.
This particular coin debuted to an audience of numismatics in Chicago, Ill. at the American Numismatic Association's 2011 World's Fair of Money. The one-ounce coin was designed by senior mint engraver William Woodruff, who also designed the Grizzly Bear and Timber Wolf coin as well as a number of other coins for the Royal Canadian Mint.
None of the coins in the collection are available for purchase directly through the Canadian Mint. Since 1979, all of the bullion created by it has been sold by independent distributors worldwide.
If you're interested in purchasing one of the coins or just interested in how to purchase bullion, this page the Mint has put together will help you.
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