2014 $5 BANK NOTES SERIES: LION ON THE MOUNTAIN FINE SILVER COIN

More than 30,000 years ago, ancient humans painted prides of hunting lions on cave walls. From these earliest moments, the lion emerged as an emblem of protection, military might, royalty, and supernatural power. Today, the lion is one of the most common heraldic symbols, used in the emblems, arms, and currency of hundreds of nations worldwide.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
Item Number: 130281
UPC: 6-23932-05433-2
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Mintage: 8,500
Weight (g)*: 23.17
Diameter (mm): 36.07
Face Value: $5
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Packaging: Maroon clamshell with custom beauty box


SPECIAL FEATURES:

• The third coin in the Royal Canadian Mint’s popular banknote series is an exceptional marriage of art history, engraving, and design, featuring one of history’s most ancient symbols—the lion—as it was uniquely and romantically depicted in an early banknote vignette by Canada’s Northern Crown Bank. The Northern Crown Bank was purchased by The Royal Bank of Canada in July 1918.
• Celebrate the legacy of monetary design and own a hand-crafted art form whose techniques are slowly fading into history.
• Stunning engraving brings to life every detail of the striking lion portrait depicted in the original vignette.
• A beautiful gift or collectible for art aficionados and fans of Canadian history, engraving arts, art technique, art history, and the history of banknote design.

DESIGN:
The reverse features a re-creation of the stunning portrait of a lion taken from an early twentieth century vignette created by the British American Banknote Company. The King of the Jungle is brought to life in painstaking detail as Royal Canadian Mint engravers capture the characteristic line engraving of early banknote design. Augmenting the masterful work of the original engraving, here the distinctive curve of each muscle and strand of fur, the striking shading of the lion and his dramatic mountainous surroundings, and the minute detail of the scrollwork and lettering are taken from original banknote designs and rendered in pure silver. The face value is framed in scrollwork adapted from an early banknote design, for a beautifully classic effect.