2022 Canada $20 Discovering Dinosaurs: Mercury's Horned Face Fine Silver (No Tax)

2022 Canada $20 Discovering Dinosaurs: Mercury's Horned Face Fine Silver (No Tax)

A followup to 2021’s Reaper of Death! Mercury’s Horned Face or Mercuriceratops gemini is the featured star of the Royal Canadian Mint's second Discovering Dinosaurs coin, and the first things you’ll notice about this ceratopsid are the bony, wing-like protrusions on its head. Engraved on the coin’s reverse, its skull fossil is especially striking against the black rhodium-plated “rock” background, which pays tribute to the discovery that yielded another piece of Canada’s prehistoric past.

Designed by Canadian paleoartist Julius Csotonyi, the coin’s reverse features the fossilized skull of Mercuriceratops gemini, a recently discovered horned dinosaur species. Beneath the black rhodium plating, the engraved texture represents the rock formation in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park where a key fossil fragment was found. The obverse also features rhodium plating behind the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Its unusual frill may look scary, but it likely helped Mercuriceratops to attract a mate. Unveiled in 2014, this six-metre-long herbivore was described from near-identical skull fragments of two individuals—one recovered from Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta and the other from the Judith River Formation in Montana (United States)—hence the species name, gemini (“twin” in Latin). The genus name, Mercuriceratops, means “Mercury’s horned face.” It was named after Mercury, the Roman messenger to the gods, who is often depicted with wings on his helmet.

Specifications:
Item Number: 203129
Mintage: 10,000
Composition: 99.99% pure silver with selective rhodium plating
Weight*: 31.39 g
Diameter: 38 mm
Face Value: $20
Finish: Matte Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Julius Cstonyi

Special Features:
• Imagine the excitement of unearthing a new prehistoric species! The followup to 2021’s sold-out Reaper of Death coin, the second Discovering Dinosaurs coin places you in the field and at the site of another discovery.
• Rhodium plating! The black rhodium background represents the hidden or unknown past. This dark design element keeps the focus on the engraved fossils that have helped paleontologists piece together the story of prehistoric Canada.
• "New" dinosaur! Like the tyrannosaur on the first coin, this horned dinosaur is a relative “newcomer”—the 76-million-year-old Mercuriceratops was unveiled in 2014 and has never appeared on a coin until now.
• Scientifically verified! The fossil depicted on your coin has been verified for scientific accuracy by the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology.
• Engraved texture! Beneath the rhodium plating on your coin’s reverse, the engraved texture represents the thrill of discovery: it resembles the rock formation in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park, where a Mercuriceratops skull fragment was found.
• For dino lovers of all ages! Dinosaurs are a popular theme with collectors and Canadians of all ages. They're also an important part of Canada's natural heritage!

Packaging:
The coin comes encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.