2016 $20 Iconic Canada: The Polar Bear – 1oz Pure Silver Coin
 
An immense polar bear and her endearing little cub float across iceberg-filled Arctic waters under a sky lit by the aurora borealis: icons within icons, each elemental to the Canadian identity. Showcasing the artistry and technical talent of the Royal Canadian Mint, this rare 99.99% pure silver coin celebrates the beloved polar bear.
 
DESIGN
The reverse design by Canadian artist Julius Csotonyi centres around a portrait of a mother polar bear and her tiny cub. The cub leans in against the mother’s right front leg, looking directly at the viewer as the mother gazes toward the right side of the image. The two bears stand on a small iceberg, floating amid other larger bergs in open water. Above them, the aurora borealis illuminates a starlit sky. The bottom half of the image presents the underwater view of this scene, with a school of Arctic cod swimming near the submerged section of the polar bears iceberg. The underwater portion of the image is overlaid with translucent blue enamel, lending depth and colour to the coin’s highly detailed engraving and shading. A polished outer band bears the word ‘CANADA’, the date ‘2016’, and the face value of ’20 DOLLARS’. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
 
SPECIAL FEATURES
This is the first coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s innovative new series featuring classic Canadian icons highlighted with cutting-edge design and technology.
 
The Royal Canadian Mint’s world-class 99.99% pure silver is an ideal canvas for Julius Csotonyi’s captivating portrait of a mother polar bear and her cub in their Arctic habitat. A striking blue enamel stratum overlays selective portions of the image, lending depth to the work of Csotonyi and the Mint’s engravers.
This highly exclusive piece has a very low mintage of only 4,000 coins.