SNOWY OWLS – GEOMETRIC FAUNA SERIES – 2018 $20 1 OZ FINE SILVER COIN – ROYAL CANADIAN MINT
 
 Limited mintage of just 6,000 worldwide!
 
With its snow-white plumage, the snowy owl (Bubo scandiacus) is a hauntingly beautiful ambassador for our northerly climate. The second coin in our Geometric Fauna series takes to the skies and re-imagines a classic Canadian species, by combining two different art styles — low poly art and realism — to achieve a colourful, contemporary design brimming with majestic motion.
 
SPECIAL FEATURES
SECOND IN A SERIES: The first Geometric Fauna coin (The Grey Wolf) featured an icon of our forests but this time, we’re taking to the skies! The snowy owl is the SECOND to be featured in a three-coin series that takes a more contemporary approach to wildlife portraits, by merging a realistic depiction with one based on pure geometry.
 
CALCULATED CRAFTSMANSHIP: Each of these beloved icons of the Canadian wilderness is comprised of carefully positioned polygon shapes that are characteristic of low poly art, before merging with a more true-to-life depiction.
 
A VARIETY OF FINISHES: Precisely engraved to ensure crisp lines, each polygon shape is set apart by different finishing techniques that mimic light and shadows, which adds yet another realistic touch to the stylized image.
 
LAVISH COLOUR: Canada’s wintry beauty is brought to life by an outstanding application of bold colours over precision-engraved relief—a combination that effectively transforms a flat image into a multi-layered work of art.
 
DESIGN
The reverse design by Claude Thivierge combines two different art styles for a unique take on an enigmatic avian species. A colourful sunset provides the only hint of warmth in this colour-over-engraved winter scene, where the sky is ablaze with orange and yellow hues. The open field conveys a sense of stillness as the landscape slumbers beneath its snow cover, where engraved relief adds textural details that mimic rolling drifts and mounds. The only sense of movement comes from two enigmatic snowy owls, which are comprised of polygon shapes that define the low poly art style. Suddenly, one of the owls takes flight; flying close to the ground, the owl’s outstretched wings create the illusion of movement as it seemingly “shatters” the boundaries of the image and its geometric form, and smoothly transitions from abstract to realism. The word “CANADA”, the face value “20 DOLLARS” and the year “2018” are engraved along the rim that frames much of the reverse image. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.