The 1.25 oz Canadian Bison Coins from the Royal Canadian Mint

The Royal Canadian Mint is well­ known for coining gold and silver bullion products with designs inspired by the wildlife that calls the nation home. From aerial predators to some of the largest land mammals around, the Royal Canadian Mint has captured it all on the reverse side of its popular bullion coins. Among the many collections available, the Canadian Silver Bison coinage was a standout for its use of new reverse designs with each release and the unique metal weight of 1.25 Troy oz. Learn more about this special coin series here at JM Bullion.

Canadian Bison Coin Series

The Canadian Silver Bison coins were recently introduced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2015. The goal was to offer investors and collectors a unique option among a catalog of Canadian coins that was already diverse, both in designs and weights. For example, the Royal Canadian Mint was already striking a distinct collection of wildlife-themed coins at this time featuring an equally distinctive weight of 1.5 Troy oz.

Each of the Canadian Bison Silver Coins featured a new design with each release year and .9999 pure silver content. The coins had a face value of $8 (CAD) backed by the Canadian government and some of the Royal Canadian Mint’s newest anti-counterfeiting measures. The 2015 inaugural release in the Canadian Bison collection featured the mint’s recently-unveiled radial lines. These laser-engraved lines were meant to deflect light differently and make it harder to produce counterfeit coins. On the 2016 Canadian Silver Bison Coin, the Royal Canadian Mint went a step further with the addition of the micro-engraved maple leaf privy. This privy mark is on the reverse only and features a maple leaf with the last two digits of the issue year visible in the center, but only under magnification.

Finally, each of the Canadian Silver Bison Coins offered by the Royal Canadian Mint features the right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. This is the fourth-generation effigy of Her Majesty and it was created in 2003 by Susanna Blunt. Blunt is just the second Canadian artist ever to design a monarch’s effigy for the Royal Canadian Mint, and this design is the first since the reign of King George VI, the father of Elizabeth II, to feature a monarch without a crown in the design.

2015 Canadian Silver Bison Coin

The 2015 issue of the Canadian Silver Bison Coin featured the image of a singular woodland bison as it rumbles across the open plains of Canada’s lowland prairies. There is a low mountain peak visible off in the distance as the bison tramples the grasslands in the foreground. Engravings include “Canada 2015” and “Fine Silver 1 1/4 oz Argent Pur.” There is also an engraving of “9999” in the design field itself.

2016 Canadian Silver Bison Coin

In keeping with the changing annual designs, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a new image of the woodland bison on the reverse of the 2016 Canadian Silver Bison. This time the bison is depicted in the same left-profile format, but rather than rumbling across open lands it is stopped at a watering hole where it is depicted drinking by the water’s edge. In the background, you can see the sky-high peaks of the Canadian Rockies reaching toward the sky. The engravings remain the same on this coin, with one exception. The purity of “9999” has been moved to the top of the design field as the inclusion of the maple leaf privy mark for 2016 saw it placed in the bottom of the design field instead.

Available Canadian Silver Bison Coins

The Canadian Bison coins remaining today typically feature a certification from the NGC. The Numismatic Guaranty Corporation issues certifications for coins based upon remaining visual brilliance and the presence or lack of flaws. In the case of some of our Canadian Silver Bison Coins, the NGC has issued Mint State 69 coins. The second-highest grade on the Sheldon Scale, a Mint State 69 coin is considered near-perfect in nature. It has full, original mint luster with a maximum of two minor detracting flaws. These flaws are limited in nature to minuscule contact marks or hairlines found only outside the primary focal areas of the coin’s design.

Get Your Canadian Silver Bisons from JM Bullion

If you have any questions about this silver for sale, please contact JM Bullion. Our customer service team is available at 800-276-6508, online using our live chat, and via our email address.