2021 Canadian Wildlife Portraits: The Caribou Gold Coin | Royal Canadian Mint

The caribou is the subject of the Royal Canadian Mint's 2021 .99999 pure gold animal portrait. Order today!

One of Canada's most iconic creatures is the caribou, an antlered resident of our untamed landscapes and a cornerstone of Indigenous culture. Its strength and resilience, as well as its agility and beauty, make it a fitting emblem of Canada itself. Its image never ceases to inspire, especially when captured in exceptionally fine detail and in the highest standard of gold purity (99.999% of five 9s), as seen on this numismatic work of art.

Yours to own: A magnificent ‘five nines’ portrait that is sure to inspire. Order yours today!

COIN HIGHLIGHTS

• THIRD COIN: This is Coin #3 in an annual wildlife-themed celebration that began with the cougar in 2019. Previous coins sold out – order your “five nines” caribou portrait today!
• THE HEIGHT OF GOLD PURITY: A gold purity level of 99.999% (“five nines”) makes this one of the purest gold coins in the world.
• LOW MINTAGE: Mintage is set to 450 coins available to collectors worldwide.
• AN ICON: By combining two different views, this design captures the majesty of the caribou and conveys its strength, even at rest.
• DETAILED ART: Every coin in this series is a limited-edition work of art that features strong textural details and subtle artistic nuances, all precisely engraved on a premium gold piece.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
• NO GST/HST

DESIGN

Designed by Canadian wildlife artist W. Allan Hancock, your coin’s reverse captures the majesty of the caribou (Rangifer tarandus)in an equally majestic alpine landscape. A close view allows for a detailed view of the caribou’s features, especially the antlers that reach up to the partly cloudy sky, while a second caribou steps into sight in the distance. Also engraved on the reverse are the word “CANADA” and the year “2021”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

"The bull’s most striking feature is its large antlers. By offering both a close-up and a full-body view, I hoped to present the caribou more completely." W. Allan Hancock, Artist

DID YOU KNOW?

• There are over a million caribou in Canada, which is home to several types of them. The barren-ground caribou, which migrates seasonally from the tundra to our northern forests, is the most numerous; other types of caribou include the forest-dwelling woodland caribou and the smaller Peary caribou, which roams the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
• Unlike other members of the deer family (Cervidae), both the male and female caribou carry antlers, which are shed and re-grown each year of their adult life. Males (bulls) shed their antlers in the fall, but females (cows) usually keep theirs through the winter.

PACKAGING

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN MINT

The Royal Canadian Mint is known as one of the most reputable mints in the world. The Ottawa Branch of the Royal Mint opened in 1908 and was renamed The Royal Canadian Mint in 1931 when control was transferred to the Canadian government. Their high standards for excellence and quality allowed them to be the first refinery to manufacture 9999 fine gold bullion coins in 1982, as well as the first to reach 99999 fine gold purity in 1998.