2012 1/4oz $5 STERLING SILVER AND NIOBIUM COIN - FULL WOLFS MOON

Calendar in the sky

We look to the sky to see if rain is coming, but there was a time when people gleaned far more information from gazing upward - particularly at night. Throughout history, cultures around the world have recognized the moon as the guardian of nature's cycles. Its perpetual waxing and waning, ―dying‖ and reappearing, marked the passage of time not clock time, but the rhythms of life; the ebb and flow of the sea; the birth, maturation and migration of animals; the sprouting of new plants and the scattering of seeds.

In North America, the First Nations tribes that comprise the Algonquin people used the lunar cycle as a celestial calendar to track time. They assigned a name to every full moon to reflect the seasonal activities that accompanied its specific cycle. The Algonquin people lived across a vast territory from Lake Superior to the Atlantic and the geographical difference between them produced a variety of names for each full moon.

January is the quintessential months of snow and ice. Its full moon is known as Snow Moon or Old Moon, but the most common name is Wolf Moon to reflect the fact that wolves are often heard howling outside First Nations villages, the sound amplified by the crisp, open air a beautiful song of longing inspired by the ever-changing cycle of life.

Specifications:
Item number: 113371 (single)
Face Value: 5 dollars
Mintage: 7,500
Composition: Outer ring: Sterling Silver
Core: Sterling Silver (obverse)
Niobium (reverse)
Weight (g): 8.5
Diameter (mm): 28
Edge: Interrupted Serrations
Finish: Proof

Special Features:
- Third coin in an exciting new Niobium series featuring the Full Moons of the Algonquin, to be followed by the Full Pink Moon.
- Low mintage coin features a niobium metal insert with unique coloring that reflects the theme of the coin.
- Distinct and innovative minting process: Niobium insert is struck into the core of a sterling silver coin and then selectively colored through a unique oxidization process made possible by the special properties of this metal.
- Unique Maple wooden flip case houses each coin or the full series.

Packaging:
Coin is encapsulated and presented in a wooden display case, lined with flock and protected by a black sleeve.