In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
Long SOLD OUT at the Royal Canadian Mint!
An unique insect (the dragonfly), two technologies (color AND hologram), and low mintage make this beautiful, affordable pure silver proof a keeper!The Royal Canadian Mint releases the very first in the new Dragonflies Series of silver proofs, the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer! This innovative new program combines two outstanding, proprietary technologies (colorization and hologram!) on one coin - to dramatic and artistic effect! The dragonfly is portrayed in full color, set against hologram images of its natural habitat! The hologram technology, creating the water, captures the full spectrum, a rainbow of colors, to shimmer and scintillate as the coin is tilted back and forth! The low mintage of only 10,000 and the extremely affordable price guarantee a quick sell-out of this artistic, pure silver proof featuring an unique animal!
A Colorful, Dramatic Design!
The dragonfly portrait, designed by Canadian artist Celia Godkin, features a full color Libellula pulchella set against a hologram. Rendered in finest detail, the dragonfly is presented from its right side. Its lacy, brightly hued periwinkle-spotted wings, with contrasting black dots and soft blue-white coloring, are fully extended as the male Twelve-Spotted Pond Skimmer poses delicately atop a blade of pond grass. We see the Skimmer’s characteristic yellow-lined thorax and body as well as the soft blue coloring that distinguishes the mature male of the species. In the background, its natural habitat, a water lily pond, is presented via a shimmering full-color hologram, bringing sparkling movement to the water.
Beautiful Hunter: The Twelve-Spotted Skimmer
One of the summer’s most stunning sights is the darting acrobatic flight of Libellula pulchella, better known as the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer. Large (2-3 inches; 5-6 cm long) in its adult phase, and strikingly colored, this daring dragonfly is found near waterways in all 48 of the contiguous United States and southern Canada.
Libellula pulchella is well known for its spotted gossamer wings and the otherworldly powder-blue bodies of mature males. Its large, stocky body looks constantly poised for flight and hunting - a shape known as the “sprawler” form among dragonfly experts.
The Twelve-Spotted Skimmer’s four long, delicate black-veined wings each bear three black spots: one at the base where the wing meets the body, one at the tip of the wing, and a third one at the midpoint between these two. In females, the remaining wing space is devoid of decoration. In mature males, the remaining space is occupied by soft blue-white spots. The dark brown-black thorax of the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer is lined in bright yellow in both males and females.
The early phase of the life of this and other dragonflies, known as the naiad or nymphal phase, begins underwater. Females drop their fertilized eggs into slow-moving water bodies, hovering low over the water’s surface to do so. The eggs sink to the bottom of the lake or pond and there the young naiads hatch and live among the leaves, grasses, sticks, and other material at the bottom for their first year of life. They catch aquatic insects and larvae (sometimes even small tadpoles!) as they pass by. The naiads will also overwinter in these water bodies. Then, by the dark of night in springtime, the mature naiads swim to the water’s edge, crawl up onto a plant, and soon thereafter emerge as adult dragonflies!
Twelve-Spotted Skimmers are beneficial to humans and animals, and a welcome sight for Americans who enjoy being outdoors during the summer months, for they feed heartily on a host of biting insects, including mosquitoes, black flies, and deer flies. They also eat more benign flying insects, including flying ants, moths, butterflies, and mayflies. They are highly effective hunters who are known to be extremely territorial about their hunting grounds. Males will compete for territorial claims by executing complex flight-pattern contests. This glorious dragonfly dazzles nature lovers and backyard watchers from spring to late summer.
Investment Note
A low mintage of only 10,000, intricately colored and hologrammed, and extremely affordable! Consider too the unique animal subject - how many praying mantis coins are there out there, anyway? We see a bright future for this intriguing insect silver proof!
Technology Note - Hologram
The Royal Canadian Mint leads the world with its proprietary hologram technology, in which the hologram is actually minted on the coin. The coin comes alive and the colors of the water shimmer and shift as you tilt the coin. No static, two dimensional images can do these holograms justice - they truly have to be seen in person to be fully appreciated!
Technology Note - Color
This Dragonfly Silver Proof 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.
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 silver proof coin is 99.99% pure!
Obverse
A colorful dragonfly rest on flora in front of its natural habitat. 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
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated
inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined
with
black velvet and protected by an outer sleeve. An
individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.
Specifications
| Country | Canada |
| Year of Issue | 2013 |
| Face Value | 10 Dollars |
| Weight | 15.87 g |
| Diameter | 34 mm |
| Mintage Limit | 10,000 |
| Finish | Proof with Color and Hologram |
| Composition | .9999 Fine (Pure) Silver |
| Edge | Reeded (milled, serrated) |
| Artist | Celia Godkin |
| Certificate | Individually Numbered |
Complete
Certificate Text
Beautiful
Hunter: Libellula pulchella
One of the summer’s most stunning sights is the darting acrobatic flight of Libellula pulchella, known commonly as the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer. Large (5-6 cm long) in its adult phase, and strikingly coloured, this ubiquitous dragonfly is found near waterways across southern Canada from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.
Libellula pulchella is well known for its spotted gossamer wings and the otherworldly powder-blue bodies of mature males. Its large, stocky body looks constantly poised for flight and hunting—a shape known as the “sprawler” form among dragonflies.
The Twelve-Spotted Skimmer’s four long, delicate black-veined wings each bear three black spots: one at the base where the wing meets the body, one at the tip of the wing, and a third one at the midpoint between these two. In females, the remaining wing space is devoid of decoration. In mature males, the remaining space is occupied by soft blue-white spots. The dark brownblack thorax of the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer is lined in bright yellow in both males and females.
The early phase of the life of this and other dragonflies, known as the naiad or nymphal phase, begins underwater. Females drop their fertilized eggs into slow-moving water bodies, hovering low over the water’s surface to do so. The eggs float to the bottom of the lake or pond and there the young naiads, once they hatch, live among the leaves, grasses, sticks, and other material at the bottom for their first year of life, catching aquatic insects and larvae—sometimes even small tadpoles—as they pass by. The naiads will also overwinter in these water bodies. Then, by the dark of night in springtime, the mature naiads swim to the water’s edge, crawl up onto a plant, and soon thereafter emerge as adult dragonflies.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmers are a friend to humans and animals, and a welcome sight for Canadians who enjoy being outdoors during the summer months, for they feed heartily on a host of biting insects, including mosquitoes, black flies, and deer flies. They also eat more benign flying insects, including flying ants, moths, butterflies, and mayflies. They are highly effective hunters who are known to be extremely territorial about their hunting grounds. Males will compete for territorial claims by executing complex flight-pattern contests.
This glorious dragonfly dazzles nature lovers and backyard watchers from early summer to late August.
One of the summer’s most stunning sights is the darting acrobatic flight of Libellula pulchella, known commonly as the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer. Large (5-6 cm long) in its adult phase, and strikingly coloured, this ubiquitous dragonfly is found near waterways across southern Canada from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.
Libellula pulchella is well known for its spotted gossamer wings and the otherworldly powder-blue bodies of mature males. Its large, stocky body looks constantly poised for flight and hunting—a shape known as the “sprawler” form among dragonflies.
The Twelve-Spotted Skimmer’s four long, delicate black-veined wings each bear three black spots: one at the base where the wing meets the body, one at the tip of the wing, and a third one at the midpoint between these two. In females, the remaining wing space is devoid of decoration. In mature males, the remaining space is occupied by soft blue-white spots. The dark brownblack thorax of the Twelve-Spotted Skimmer is lined in bright yellow in both males and females.
The early phase of the life of this and other dragonflies, known as the naiad or nymphal phase, begins underwater. Females drop their fertilized eggs into slow-moving water bodies, hovering low over the water’s surface to do so. The eggs float to the bottom of the lake or pond and there the young naiads, once they hatch, live among the leaves, grasses, sticks, and other material at the bottom for their first year of life, catching aquatic insects and larvae—sometimes even small tadpoles—as they pass by. The naiads will also overwinter in these water bodies. Then, by the dark of night in springtime, the mature naiads swim to the water’s edge, crawl up onto a plant, and soon thereafter emerge as adult dragonflies.
Twelve-Spotted Skimmers are a friend to humans and animals, and a welcome sight for Canadians who enjoy being outdoors during the summer months, for they feed heartily on a host of biting insects, including mosquitoes, black flies, and deer flies. They also eat more benign flying insects, including flying ants, moths, butterflies, and mayflies. They are highly effective hunters who are known to be extremely territorial about their hunting grounds. Males will compete for territorial claims by executing complex flight-pattern contests.
This glorious dragonfly dazzles nature lovers and backyard watchers from early summer to late August.