The Royal Canadian Mint is known not only for its impressive purity in coinage, but also some of its unique design and weight programs. Among them are the series of 1.5 oz silver coins featuring creatures from the Canadian Arctic.

The Snow Falcon is the fourth design installment in the Royal Canadian Mint’s 1.5 oz series of Canadian Wildlife Coins. Each design in the series features an element of the Canadian Arctic, with previous wildlife designs in the series featuring the Arctic Snow Fox and the Polar Bear. Falcons are able to fly at high speeds because of their wing shape, and unlike the eagle and hawk, will kill their prey with their beaks instead of claws.

On the reverse face of the 2016 1.5 oz Canadian Silver Falcon coin you’ll find the image of the Falcon as it flies across the sky. Engravings include the nation and year of issue, the coin’s purity, metal content, and weight. There are also the RCM’s latest anti-counterfeiting design features, which include the Maple Leaf privy with year of issue inside and the radial lines along the edge.

The obverse of the coin features the right-profile portrait of Queen Elizabeth II created in 2003 by Susanna Blunt. This side features engravings of Her Majesty’s name, the face value of the coin, and the phrase “D.G. Regina.”

The Royal Canadian Mint was founded in 1908 to process gold and other precious metals discovered in the Yukon Territories. It was the first step in Canadian independence, providing the nation with its own minting capacity. The opening of a second facility in Winnipeg in 1980 increased the mint’s capacity.