Second coin in the new Elusive Cougar Program! A masterwork of wildlife fine art, this powerful portrait of an elusive adult Cougar, Puma or Mountain Lion perched in an autumn maple tree is intricately rendered in pure silver on this meticulously engraved, full color, low mintage proof beauty!

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Talisman Coins is proud to bring you the latest in the Royal Canadian Mint's Canadian Wildlife Exploration Program, featuring realistic, naturalistic representations of some of Canada's best-known animals! These outstanding wildlife designs recall those found on one of the most popular programs ever from the Royal Canadian Mint - the Wildlife Coin & Stamps Sets!

The Cougar is one of Canada’s most powerful, elusive, and beautiful predators. This silent hunter is the perfect subject for the Royal Canadian Mint’s stunning new, five coin Elusive Cougar Program. Like the sleek female cougar whose life-cycle this series details, the collection is rare and dazzling - and, like the elusive mountain lion, it will have disappeared before you know! Coins in this series include:

    1)  Elusive Cougar $20 Pure Silver Proof Traditionally Engraved
    2)  Elusive Cougar $20 Pure Silver Proof with Full Color
    3)  Elusive Cougar $20 Pure Silver Proof with 24-Karat Gold Plating
    4)  Elusive Cougar Complete 3-Coin Collection $20 Pure Silver Proof Set
    5)  Elusive Cougar $5 1/10 Ounce Pure Gold Proof
    6)  Elusive Cougar $5 1/10 Ounce Pure Platinum Proof

A Highly Detailed, Original Work of Art!
The design by Canadian wildlife artist Glen Loates features a female mountain lion negotiating a rocky mountain pass. Viewed from her left side, the cougar is presented in full-body detail, each massive muscle in her powerful back legs, shoulders, and fore-paws finely rendered. Her long, counterbalancing tail hangs gracefully behind her and her head is lowered as she uses her exceptional vision to determine the best path through the landscape. The lower half of the image depicts the massive outcroppings of a barren mountainside. In the background of the upper half of the image we see a few scraggly pine boughs, adding visual interest to the image and balancing the lower half of the design.

North America's Legendary Big Cat
The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as puma, mountain lion, mountain cat, catamount or panther (depending on the region) is a feline mammal native to the Americas. This large, solitary cat has the greatest range of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere, extending from Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes of South America. An adaptable, generalist species, the cougar is found in every major American habitat type. It is the second heaviest cat in the Western Hemisphere, after the jaguar, and the fourth largest cat species in the world (after lions, tigers and jaguars). Although large, the cougar is most closely related to smaller felines and is closer genetically to the domestic cat than to true lions.

Averaging 140 lbs (64 kg) in weight (with extremely large specimens weighing in near 300 pounds), and measuring up to 6 feet (3 meters) in length, the cougar is noted for its lithe musculature, long hind legs, and a tail that, at almost 3 feet (1 meter) long, acts as an important counterbalance for the noted jumper.

A capable stalk-and-ambush predator, the mountain lion pursues a wide variety of prey. Primary food sources include ungulates such as deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep, as well as domestic cattle, horses and sheep, particularly in the northern part of its range. It will also hunt species as small as insects and rodents. The head of the cougar is round and the ears erect. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. It has five retractable claws on its forepaws (one a dewclaw) and four on its hind paws. The larger front feet and claws are adaptations to clutching prey.

The puma prefers habitats with dense underbrush and rocky areas for stalking, but it can also live in open areas. It is territorial and persists at low population densities. Individual territory sizes depend on terrain, vegetation, and abundance of prey. While it is a large predator, this cat is not always the dominant species in its range, as when it competes for prey with other predators such as the jaguar, gray wolf, American Black Bear, and the grizzly bear. It is a reclusive cat and usually avoids people. Attacks on humans remain fairly rare, despite a recent increase in frequency.

Due to excessive hunting following the European colonization of the Americas and the continuing human development of cougar habitat, populations have dropped in most parts of its historical range. In particular, the cougar was extirpated in eastern North America in the beginning of the 20th century (except for an isolated sub-population in Florida). However, in recent decades, breeding populations have moved east into the far western parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. Transient males have been verified in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Illinois, where a cougar was shot in the city limits of Chicago and, in at least one instance, observed as far east as Connecticut.

The cougar’s elusiveness makes it difficult to track and protect. Today, there is evidence that the cougar is returning to parts of its former eastern range and that its western populations are growing. Sightings remain rare as this secretive hunter passes through the landscape like a ghost, leaving behind only a few prints and a lingering aura of mystery and awe.

Technology Note - Color
The Royal Canadian Mint leads the world with its proprietary colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the coin. The intricate detail, smooth gradients, and extreme precision of the technology create a stunning look on each coin.

Technology Note - Purity
The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. The RCM is also the only mint in the world to issue commemorative coins in a .9999 fineness. This one troy ounce silver coin is 99.99% pure!

Obverse
The design by Canadian wildlife artist Glen Loates features a female mountain lion perched in a maple tree. The traditional-style engraving has produced a magnificent work of beauty. The date and denomination are also indicated.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears.

Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and protected by a full color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

Specifications