2015 Canada $20 North American Sportfish: Northern Pike 1 oz Fine Silver Coin

2015 Canada $20 North American Sportfish: Northern Pike 1 oz Fine Silver Coin

Known by dozens of names, but most commonly referred to as pike, northern pike, jack, or jackfish, Esox lucius is a formidable freshwater carnivore known around the world for its large size, incredible striking speed, and willingness to fight an angler again and again.

Features

•  Part of the Royal Canadian Mint’s four-coin sportfish series features a beautifully detailed image of one of North America’s sportfish: the northern pike. 
•  This fine silver proof coin has been expertly engraved and enhanced with a variety of polishes to accent the natural attributes of this beautiful species. 
•  Features edge lettering bearing the coin’s metal weight: “9999 Fine Silver 1 oz 9999 Argent pur 1 oz” 
•  A low mintage of only 6,500 makes this coin especially exclusive. 
•  An exciting gift for the anglers and sports lovers in your life! 
•  GST/HST exempt.

Design

The northern pike, whose name derives from the Old English word for "pickaxe," is named for its long, pointed shape. Its bill-like mouth is filled with dozens of sharp teeth angled backward into its mouth. The long, sleek, tube-like body covered in tiny scales bears a fan-like dorsal fin situated near the tail, two sets of small pectoral and pelvic fins, and an anal fin just in front of the tail. The pike is an extremely well-muscled fish with exceptional capacity for quick bursts of speed from a resting position.

The northern pike is also renowned for its size. In large bodies of water in relatively cool climates, it can exceed a metre in length and weigh more than 18 kilograms. Its preferred habitat is slow-moving water in lakes, bays, and shoals with lots of shady, weedy areas where it can sit in wait for prey (or in the case of smaller juvenile pike, hide from its carnivorous elders). It is known to have a seemingly limitless appetite. While the northern pike is highly valued as a commercial fish, with mismanagement or unwise introduction, it can become a nuisance species that threatens local populations of other valued fish like salmon, trout and bass.

In Canada, the northern pike is found in tens of thousands of lakes, creeks, rivers and streams across most of the central, western, and northern parts of the country, including Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, northeastern British Columbia, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. The adult northern pike is an apex predator whose main threat comes from anglers, though rising global temperatures may eventually affect the pike's range.

An exciting gift for the anglers and sports lovers in your life! 

Packaging

Coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a graphic beauty box and Certificate of Authenticity.

Specifications