The Royal Canadian Mint has built a strong reputation for wildlife-themed silver coins, and the 2020 Red-Tailed Hawk is one of the more striking entries in that catalog. At 1/2 oz of .9999 fine silver, it delivers exceptional purity in a fractional format backed by the Canadian government with a $2 CAD face value. The diving hawk composition fills the entire reverse face with a level of feather and wing detail that rewards close examination, making this coin as appealing to collectors as it is to silver buyers.
Key Features:
- Purity and Weight: 1/2 troy oz of .9999 fine silver
- Metal: Silver
- Face Value: $2 CAD — Canadian legal tender
- Reverse Design: Red-tailed hawk in a steep dive, wings fully spread and talons extended downward; small maple leaf privy mark to the right; “CANADA 2020,” “9999,” “FINE SILVER · 1/2 OZ · ARGENT PUR” around the border
- Obverse Design: Right-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II wearing a pearl necklace; “ELIZABETH II · D · G · REGINA · 2 DOLLARS” around the border
The reverse presents a red-tailed hawk captured mid-dive, body angled downward with wings spread wide on both sides of the frame. The primary and secondary flight feathers are individually defined across both wings, and the talons are extended and open — locked onto the moment just before a strike. The chest and belly feathers carry separate texture from the wing feathers, giving the composition layered depth across the bird’s full body. A small maple leaf privy mark sits to the right of the hawk. The border carries “CANADA 2020” across the top, the purity confirmation “9999” above the bird, and “FINE SILVER · 1/2 OZ · ARGENT PUR” along the lower arc — the bilingual English and French inscription standard on Royal Canadian Mint issues.
The obverse carries the Susanna Blunt effigy of Queen Elizabeth II in right-facing profile, wearing a pearl necklace, with hair styled in the mature portrait used on Canadian coinage from 2003 onward. The inscription “ELIZABETH II · D · G · REGINA” arcs across the upper field, and “2 DOLLARS” confirms the face value below.
Struck to Brilliant Uncirculated standard by the Royal Canadian Mint, the coin features the sharp relief and reflective fields characteristic of RCM production. The .9999 purity — four nines fine — exceeds the standard .999 silver used by most other sovereign mints, a consistent differentiator for Canadian silver coins. The reeded edge is standard across the series.
Half a troy oz of .9999 fine silver, a wildlife reverse that stands out in any collection, and Canadian government backing make this coin a practical and visually compelling purchase. Add the 2020 1/2 oz Canadian Red-Tailed Hawk Silver Coin to your cart today.