2013 $20 - BUTTERFLIES OF CANADA: CANADIAN TIGER SWALLOWTAIL - FINE SILVER COIN

Theme:
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail: Harbinger of Spring
The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) is one of Canada’s most recognizable butterflies. With its broad wingspan of up to ten centimetres and the distinctive yellow and black tiger stripe pattern on its wings and body, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is a striking feature of springtime in Canada.

Description:
This fine silver coin is certified to be of 99.99% pure silver with a diameter of 40 millimetres and a metal weight of 28.02 grams. The reverse image, designed by Canadian artist Celia Godkin, depicts an engraved and coloured Canadian Tiger Swallowtail resting on an engraved dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). The reverse is engraved with the word “CANADA,” the date “2013,” and the face value of “20 DOLLARS.”

The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt

Special Features:

• Be among the first to own the beautiful flagship coin from the Royal Canadian Mint’s new Butterflies of Canada $20 fine silver series.
• Designed in 99.99% pure silver with selective colour application. No GST/HST.
• An excellent addition to any collection and a striking gift for those who love butterflies, nature, and Canadian flora and fauna.
• A beautiful celebration of species that is uniquely Canadian.
• Beautiful mirror-like proof finish enhances the beauty of the expertly engraved coloured coin.
• Also available: a 50-cent Silver plated coin with selective colour.

Product Specifications:
Face Value: 20 dollars
Mintage: 10,000
Composition: 99.99% fine silver
Weight (g): 28.02
Diameter (mm): 40
Edge: Serrated
Finish: Proof
Certificate:Serialized
Artist: Celia Godkin

Packaging
Coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint branded maroon clamshell case lined with flock and protected by a lentiucular beauty box which portrays the tiger swallowtail flapping its wings.

Complete Certificate text:
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail: Harbinger of Spring
The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) is one of Canada’s most recognizable butterflies. With its broad wingspan of up to ten centimetres and the distinctive yellow and black tiger stripe pattern on its wings and body, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is a striking feature of springtime in Canada.

The Swallowtail’s showiest attributes—its wings—are also its most fascinating. The name of the order for all butterflies, Lepidoptera, means scale winged and refers to the unique structure of butterfly wings, which are composed of microscopic scales layered on a thin, transparent membrane called chitin that stretches over structures that are much like veins. This wing construction, which is being studied by scientists for applications in photonics and solar heating, helps butterflies to collect solar heat as they bask in the sun. The black colouring common on the wings of many butterflies, including the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, is also important in thisprocess. The unique internal structure of the wing scales is responsible for the shimmering colour of many butterfly wings.

Unlike other Swallowtail species, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail breeds only a single generation each year. Its survival mechanisms, which include exceptional camouflage, help to protect it through its various stages of life. The larvae go through several moults, with their colour at each stage adapted to camouflage them from predators. In the earliest stages, they resemble bird droppings to deter consumption by birds. By the time they are mature caterpillars, they are dark green with two spots that look like eyes on their swollen front-section, lending them an uncanny resemblance to the head of a snake. They feed only at night—a further protection. When the caterpillar does need to defend itself, the osmeterium, an organ at the back of the head that is unique to Swallowtails, releases a foul smell.

Found at the edges of hardwood forests and prevalent in flower gardens and among flowering bushes like lilac, the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is common in all regions of Canada from mid-May to July. Its range extends from southern Canada to the Arctic Circle.