Pièce 1 once d'argent Oiseaux colorés : Geai bleu | 2021 Monnaie royale canadienne

A colourful pairing! The blue jay and the maple leaf, together on one coin. Order today.

With its blue feathers and distinguished air, the blue jay stands out wherever it goes—and it certainly does on this coin. The engraved design pairs the lively songbird with another Canadian treasure, the maple leaf, and adds selective colour to show the two at their colourful best.

A gorgeous rendition of the colourful Blue Jay on a pure silver coin. Order today.

Special features:

• A BLUE JAY PORTRAIT! One of Canada’s most colourful birds, the blue jay is front and centre in this gorgeous bird portrait.
• SELECTIVE COLOUR! Selective colour highlights the blue jay and the surrounding maple leaves, and transforms the design into a celebration of Mother Nature’s contrasting colours.
• THE DESIGN PULLS YOU INTO THE SCENE! The eye-level view creates the impression that the viewer is standing right behind the blue jay.
• FOR NATURE LOVERS! Magnificently crafted in 99.99% pure silver, this eye-catching piece is the perfect addition to your Canadiana-, nature- or bird-themed collection.
• LIMITED MINTAGE! Only 7,500 available to collectors worldwide.
• INCLUDES SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE: The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
• NO GST/HST

Design:

The reverse design by Canadian artist Tony Bianco features an elevated view of an engraved park setting, where a stone path leads to a footbridge. In the foreground, the blue, black and white feathers of the blue jay (Cyanocitta cristata) make it easy to spy the colourful songbird perched among the red and gold sugar maple (Acer saccharum) leaves. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

“Playing the rich oranges of the maple leaves against the soft blues of the blue jay was a way to use complementary colour to make the coin stand out. I've been painting birds throughout my 35-year career as an artist, and a lot of my interest comes from time spent banding birds for scientific research. It was a great way to learn about the characteristics and beauty of these fascinating creatures.” - Tony Bianco: Artist

Did you know?

• Cyanocitta cristata means the “crested, blue chattering bird.”
• The blue feather colour isn’t due to any blue pigmentation—in fact, the feathers contain melanin, a brown pigment. The colour effect is caused by air pockets within the feather barbs that scatter visible light: while other wavelengths are absorbed by the melanin, only the blue light is refracted and it creates the perception of a blue-coloured feather. The proof: if you crush or backlight a blue jay feather, the blue disappears.
• Black feather markings vary between individual blue jays, which may help them recognize one another.
• A smart and highly adaptable bird, the blue jay has a variety of calls ranging from its namesake “jay” to a call that mimics hawks. One of its strangest behaviours is anting, where it rubs ants on its feathers to possibly eliminate parasites or render them less toxic before eating.

PACKAGING

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

Order today!