LYNX Predator Series 1 oz silver Gilded coin $5 2017 Canada

The 2017 1 oz Canadian Silver Lynx is the second coin to be released in the Predator series produced by the Royal Canadian Mint, following the Silver Cougar. Once finished, the series will include four coins featuring North America’s iconic mammalian predators. Each coin consists of one troy ounce of .9999 fine silver and has a face value of five Canadian dollars. 

The Silver Lynx’s obverse features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, The Commonwealth of Nations’ longest reigning monarch. She wears a pearl necklace and earrings. Inscriptions include “ELIZABETH II,” “5 DOLLARS,” “D.G. REGINA,” and “2017.”

Designed by Canadian artist Emily Damstra, the reverse features a powerful lynx leaping toward its prey. The Canadian Lynx inhabits the boreal forests across the country. These skilled hunters live solitary, secretive lives, yet they easily adapt to changing seasons.

RCM engravers used a variety of techniques and finishes to create an image with enough depth to give the lynx a more realistic appearance. Radial lines on both sides of the coin provide enhanced security, along with a maple leaf-shaped privy mark under the lynx’s belly on the reverse.