1 oz 2022 Colourful Birds: Cedar Waxwing Silver Coin | Royal Canadian Mint

Enjoy a bird-theme showcase of Mother Nature’s contrasting colours.

The star of the Royal Canadian Mint's second Colourful Birds coin, the cedar waxwing has a distinctive appearance thanks to its slicked-back crest, black mask and silky yellow-brown feathers. This gregarious species loves to forage in flocks and can be found in all of Canada’s provinces and territories. It has an appetite for insects and small fruits, including those of the flowering crab apple tree featured in this nature-themed coin design.

A beautiful piece that’s sure to brighten up any nature- or bird-themed collection.

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Second coin. A follow-up to 2021’s Blue Jay, the cedar waxwing is the star of the second Colourful Birds-themed 1 oz. 99.99% pure silver coin.
• For nature lovers. With its gorgeous colours, this eye-catching piece is an ideal gift or addition to any Canadiana-, nature- or bird-themed collection.
• Limited mintage. Only 7,500 are available to collectors worldwide.
• Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
• NO GST/HST

SELECTIVE COLOUR

Selective colour highlights both the bird and its flowering perch, and transforms the design into a celebration of Mother Nature’s vibrant colour combinations.

AN IMMERSIVE SCENE

The eye-level view pulls you into the scene and creates the impression that you’re standing right next to the bird.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Some cedar waxwings have orange tail tips instead of the usual yellow. This happens when a young waxwing eats a lot of berries from a specific type of honeysuckle and the fruit’s red pigment shifts the colour of the immature tail feathers.
• See the red “drops” on the tips of its feathers? Those are actually waxy secretions on the wing feathers, hence the “waxwing” name (the “cedar” part refers to its love of cedar berries in the winter). It’s not clear what purpose the wax spots serve, but some ornithologists believe they’re related to courtship.
• A lot of fruit in one place can be too much of a good thing for the cedar waxwing! It can become intoxicated after gorging on overripe berries and fruits.

DESIGN & ARTIST

The reverse design by Canadian artist Tony Bianco features an eye-level view of a cedar waxwing (Bombycilla ccedrorum) in an engraved backyard setting, where a stone walkway leads to a lattice arch. In the foreground, the soft pastel colours of the flowering crab apple (genus Malus) tree complement the cedar waxwing’s mix of yellow, brown, grey, white and red feathers. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

PACKAGING

The coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell case 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. The Royal Canadian Mint is renowned for producing some of the highest quality and purity of gold and silver bullion coins and bars in the world. 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.