2023 Canada $20 Colourful Birds: Northern Cardinal Fine Silver (No Tax)

Easily recognized by its pointed crest, the cardinal’s bright red plumage adds a welcome splash of colour to Canadian landscapes in any season. But its conspicuous appearance can also lift our spirits on a quiet winter day, when most of nature’s colours are tucked under a thick blanket of snow—as seen on this selectively coloured 99.99% pure silver coin.

Brighter is better: Those crimson-coloured feathers are key to mating success for the male, whereas the female is a more subdued mix of tan and grey colours.

Male cardinals are rather territorial: they can mistake their reflection for a possible intruder and may spend hours fighting this imagined threat!

Canada’s northern cardinal population is steadily increasing thanks to backyard feeders (cardinals love sunflower seeds). The year-round resident was largely limited to southeastern regions of Canada but recently, it has been spotted as far west as Manitoba and east in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Designed by Canadian artist Tony Bianco, your coin’s selectively coloured reverse features a tranquil winter scene after snowfall. A snow-blanketed house on a hill appears in the engraved background. In the foreground, a bright red northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is perched on a bittersweet (Celastrus candens) branch in a spruce tree. The obverse features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The obverse also bears a special marking that includes four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign.

Specifications:
Item Number: 206706
Mintage: 7,500
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Weight: 31.39 g
Diameter: 38 mm
Face Value: $20
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Tony Bianco (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)

Special Features:
• Selective Colour! A selective application of colour highlights one of winter’s brightest colour displays, courtesy of a bright red cardinal and some winter-hardy plant species, transforming this design into a celebration of Mother Nature’s contrasting colours—just as it did with 2021’s Blue Jay and 2022’s Cedar Waxwing.
• An immersive view! The raised perspective pulls you into the scene and creates the impression of standing directly behind the cardinal, among the evergreens.
• For Nature Lovers! Complete your collection of Colourful Birds coins! This fine silver collectible makes a great gift for bird lovers, and a great addition to any Canadiana- or nature-themed collection.
• Limited Mintage! Only 7,500 coins are available to collectors worldwide.

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