SPECIES PORTRAIT
The only bird in the sequence turns the series from mammalian profile to direct gaze.
Issue 5 is the midpoint and the first bird, widening the series beyond land mammals.
Issue 5 / 9
ANIMAL PORTRAIT · SILVER BULLION
Great-Horned Owl
Bubo virginianus
The only bird in the sequence turns the series from mammalian profile to direct gaze.
- Issue year
- 2021
- Fine weight
- ¾ oz
- Product no.
- 179986
CANADA RANGE & HABITAT
Open woodland and treed agricultural land
Great horned owls range through wooded urban and rural landscapes across Canada, with a preference for open woodland and treed agricultural areas. Their broad diet and nocturnal hunting support that adaptability.
REVERSE DESIGN
Reading the Great-Horned Owl reverse
The eyes sit close to the vertical centreline while the ear tufts open a shallow V above them. Dense feather strokes radiate from the facial disc and soften into the frosted field.
WHY THIS SPECIES
What the Mint says
The Mint calls the owl a symbol of power and agility and says its distinctive features lend themselves to an engraved portrait.
DESIGN & ENGRAVING
Denis Mayer Jr.
The reverse carries Denis Mayer Jr.’s DM initials. Susanna Blunt designed the obverse portrait.
OBVERSE
Elizabeth II
Susanna Blunt’s uncrowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II faces right. The legend and two-dollar denomination encircle the portrait.
RELEASE / MINTAGE
2021
The Mint identifies this as the fifth issue, product 179986, with no fixed mintage.
SERIES PLACEMENT
05 / 09
Issue 5 is the midpoint and the first bird, widening the series beyond land mammals.
SPECIFICATIONS
2021 Great-Horned Owl
- Issuer
- Royal Canadian Mint
- Composition
- Silver, .9999 fine
- Fine weight
- ¾ troy oz
- Recorded weight
- 23.33 g
- Diameter
- 38 mm
- Face value
- CAD $2
- Edge
- Serrated
- Finish
- Reverse proof
ISSUE SOURCES
2021 Great-Horned Owl
Coin references and species references are listed separately so release facts, design observation and natural history remain distinct.
- Royal Canadian Mint — 2021 Great-Horned OwlAccessed 24 Aug 2026
- Environment and Climate Change Canada — Great Horned OwlAccessed 24 Aug 2026