2014 Wolverine Silver Coin Ends Untamed Canada Series

A series from the Royal Canadian Mint comes to an end with the release of the 2014 Wolverine 1 oz Fine Silver Coin.

The strike appears as the third and last issue of the Mint’s Untamed Canada series and offers a reverse design showcasing the wolverine.

"Third and last issue in the Royal Canadian Mint’s exciting Untamed Canada series, your coin showcases five different coin finishes, each with a separate degree of luster, exceptional engraving techniques and woodblock-inspired art," describes the Royal Canadian Mint on its website.

Previous silver coins from the series offered designs of the arctic fox and the pronghorn.

The wolverine is sometimes referred to as Gulo gulo, glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, or quickhatch, and is normally found in the Northern extremes of the Northern Hemisphere. This includes the remote wilderness of Canada which is why relatively little information is known about the largest member of the Mustelidae (weasel) family.

We do know the wolverine has successfully adapted to its environment with jaws that can bite through moose bones and teeth that have evolved to eat frozen meat. The wolverine is known to ferociously defend its food but is primarily a scavenger.

Designs and Specifications of Canadian Wolverine Silver Coins

Canadian artist Tivadar Bote designed the image of the animal found on the reverse. It offers a classic stance of the wolverine against a sunburst motif bearing symbolic elements of its natural Canadian habitat.

Inscriptions surrounding the design include "CANADA," "2014," "20 DOLLARS" and "GULO GULO." The artist’s initials of "TB" can be found to the right.

Each silver coin is struck as legal tender of Canada and thus bears the Susanna Blunt portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. Inscriptions on the obverse include "ELIZABETH II" and "D G REGINA."

The 99.99% pure silver coin is struck to proof quality with each weighing 31.6 grams and having a diameter of 40 mm.

These silver coins arrive encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint maroon clamshell case. A serialized certificate is included which lists the 8,500 mintage.

Pricing of the release is listed as CAD $89.95, or about US $89.95. Orders may be placed directly with the Royal Canadian Mint at mint.ca. Here is an affiliate to the Mint’s newest coins.