2021 Multilayered Cougar Silver Coin | The Royal Canadian Mint

One coin, multiple layers of (engraved) art. Order today!

New technology alert! How do you draw equal attention to a portrait's subject and background? You treat them as independent layers of art! Thanks to a new advanced minting process, this piedfort-sized coin has two distinctly separate layers of engraving on its reverse: a cutout, and a background etched on the coin's interior surface. This is Multilayered Engraving, a groundbreaking approach that was previewed in early 2020 as part of the From R&D Lab collection. It's about unlocking additional design space on a standard coin blank. By using specially manufactured dies, the Royal Canadian Mint is now able to engrave behind the reverse's top plate—in this case, the cougar that cuts away to a sweeping view of its forest surroundings.

It's the Royal Canadian Mint's most dimensional engraving technique yet. Order today!

COIN HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW MULTILAYERED ENGRAVING! Pioneered by the Royal Canadian Mint's R&D researchers, Multilayered Engraving is a revolutionary new technique that unlocks additional design space by engraving behind the top plate, on the coin's inside surface.
• THE FULL POTENTIAL OF A WORLD FIRST! Multilayered Engraving was first unveiled to the world in early 2020 as part of the From R&D Lab collection. This fine silver coin is the first to show the full potential of this groundbreaking technique.
• A DRAMATICALLY DIMENSIONAL DESIGN! The background offers a sweeping view of the forest—it doesn't just stop where the subject (the cougar) begins. It's a more dimensional approach to coin design, all while working with the traditional weight and precious metal volume of a standard coin blank.
• A 3D LOOK! By extending the art as close to the edge as possible, the engraved cougar cutout has a more 3D-like appearance—with its intense gaze, it looks ready to pounce!
• AN OVERSIZED PIECE! With its 55 mm diameter, this larger-sized 99.99% pure silver coin is sized like a piedfort coin.
• A VERY LOW MINTAGE of just 1,500 coins worldwide means this is a limited opportunity to own such a remarkable collectible.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
• NO GST/HST!

DESIGN

On the reverse, a wildlife portrait by Canadian artist Denis Mayer Jr. is enhanced with Multilayered Engraving that divides the art into distinct layers. A top plate features a cutout of a cougar (Puma concolor) perched on a branch. Behind it, the coin's interior surface provides a separate base layer for an engraved rendering of a forest setting in Western Canada. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

DID YOU KNOW

• The cougar is Canada's largest wild cat and the second-largest in the Western Hemisphere (the jaguar is bigger).
• Given that its range extends from the Yukon-British Columbia border to southern Argentina, the cougar is known to occupy a variety of habitats—from deserts to tropical rainforests, and the coniferous forest shown on this coin.

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.