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Long SOLD OUT at the Royal Canadian Mint!

The cinnamon-throated, brilliant blue Barn Swallow feeds its young nestlings on this colorful crown-size quarter!

An agile, dancing flock of cinnamon-throated, forked-tailed birds has marked spring’s arrival for time immemorial. Watching the Barn Swallow swoop and soar as it feeds in mid-air is to witness a study in maneuverability! They even drink and bathe in mid-flight by skimming and dipping over lakes and rivers!

A Rural Architect
The Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is the most widespread species of swallow in the world. A passerine bird with blue upperparts, a long, distinctive, deeply forked tail and curved, pointed wings, it is found throughout Canada and the United States.

This resourceful bird shuns cities, but likes to nest in man-made structures near meadows and wetlands, which give it plentiful access to its main dietary staple, flying insects. Nest-building can take the two birds up to two weeks worth of 14-hour days to complete. The Barn Swallow’s cup-shaped nests are usually constructed of mud pellets on high vertical or horizontal structures. These nests offer a relatively safe haven for the couple’s four or five spotted white eggs. Once the young birds are fledged, and the days begin to shorten, it is time for the swallow to fly south to warmer climates for winter, before returning in several months with spring in tow.

With the lowest mintage in the entire Colorful Birds of Canada series (along with the American Goldfinch and Blue Jay, both of which sold out quickly at the Mint), the Barn Swallow looks like a real winner. Why not tame your own fine feathered friend today with this beautiful colored coin?

The Barn Swallow Colorized Quarter is the seventh entry in the extremely popular Colorful Birds of Canada series.

A Significant New Quarter!
You'll fall in love with the Barn Swallow Colorized Quarter! Stunning its beauty, size and rarity, it's a true keeper, and features a number of significant facts! This is the largest quarter ever issued by Canada - in fact, it's truly "crown-sized", a full 35 mm in diameter! As you might expect, is also significantly heavier, weighing nearly three times as much as standard quarter, and features the most colorful image ever on a Canadian colorized quarter. What's more, this quarter is minted in the Royal Canadian Mint's exclusive specimen finish (more information on this below).

Technology Note
The Barn Swallow Crown-Size Quarter features the Royal Canadian Mint’s patented colorization technology. The RCM 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, full-color portrait on each coin.

The Specimen Finish
This coin features the uniquely-Canadian "specimen" finish, a three-fold combination of different finishes. The design (raised area or relief) includes both frosted and mirrored surfaces, while the fields (background) are subtly striated, resulting in a contrasting, matte appearance. No other mint in the world employs the specimen finish.

Obverse
A Barn Swallow returns to its nest to feed its nestling babies, all highlighted in color by the Royal Canadian Mint's proprietary colorization technology. The date of issue and denomination are both 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.

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