Half Kilogram Fine Silver Coin – Conservation Series: The Grey Fox

Description

Celebrate Canada’s remarkable wildlife with the 2015 Royal Canadian Mint Half-Kilogram Grey Fox Conservation Series Silver Coin. Struck in .9999 pure silver with an impressive weight of 500 grams (16.075 troy oz), this large-format proof coin captures the elegance and agility of one of Canada’s rarest mammals. Housed in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with black beauty box, this limited-edition collectible is designed to be displayed, admired, and cherished for generations.

The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, symbolizing the coin’s official status as Canadian legal tender. The reverse, designed by Canadian artist Laurene Spino, presents a full-body portrait of the grey fox poised on a maple bough, its front left paw raised and ready to pounce. Intricate engraving and varied finishing techniques highlight the fox’s masked eyes, dark back, distinctive tail stripe, and long legs, while maple leaves on the left side emphasize its Canadian habitat. This coin is the second issue in the Royal Canadian Mint’s Conservation Series, which celebrates Canada’s endangered and rare wildlife.

The grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is a unique member of Canada’s ecosystem, found only in southern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and the single known breeding population on Pelee Island. Remarkable for its ability to climb trees, it uses sharp, hooked claws to reach heights of up to 18 meters and to move agilely between branches. With a grizzled russet, gold, and silvery-grey coat, the grey fox is a striking predator of forests and wetlands, preying on small mammals, birds, and occasionally fruit, while evading larger predators with its remarkable agility.

With a strictly limited mintage of just 500 coins worldwide, this conservation-themed proof coin is GST/HST exempt and makes a truly special gift for wildlife enthusiasts, collectors of Canadian silver, and those passionate about preserving endangered species.

Design Highlights

• Striking full-body portrait of a grey fox standing on a maple bough

• Obverse: Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II

• Reverse: Grey fox rendered in exceptional high relief with detailed fur, tail, and posture

• Proof finish with varied engraving techniques for depth and realism

• Second coin in the RCM Conservation Series

• Encapsulated and presented in a maroon clamshell with black beauty box

• Strictly limited mintage of 500 coins worldwide

• Legal tender issue backed by Canada

• GST/HST exempt

Specifications

• Country: Canada

• Year: 2015

• Denomination: 125 Dollars

• Composition: .9999 fine silver

• Weight: 500 grams

• Bullion Weight: 16.075 troy oz

• Diameter: 85 mm

• Finish: Proof

• Obverse Artist: Susanna Blunt

• Reverse Artist: Laurene Spino

• Mintage: 500

• Theme: Wildlife – Conservation Series

• Monarch: Queen Elizabeth II

• Packaging: Royal Canadian Mint maroon clamshell with black beauty box