A standout early release from the Royal Canadian Mint’s Canadian Wildlife Series, the 2011 Grizzly Bear combines sovereign Canadian silver with a design created specifically to showcase one of North America’s most formidable animals.

Introduced in 2011, the Canadian Wildlife Series ultimately featured six different wildlife designs, all struck in the same exceptionally high .9999 fine silver associated with the Royal Canadian Mint’s Silver Maple Leaf bullion coins. The Grizzly Bear was the second release in the six-coin series, following the Timber Wolf.

The reverse, designed by Canadian artist William Woodruff, depicts a powerful grizzly standing in a rugged wilderness setting. The inscriptions identify the issuing nation, silver weight and exceptional 9999 purity. The obverse carries Susanna Blunt’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, along with the 2011 date and the coin’s $5 Canadian legal-tender denomination.

Unlike a privately minted silver round, this is a sovereign legal-tender bullion coin issued by Canada. Each coin contains a full 1 troy ounce of .9999 fine silver, giving stackers recognizable bullion content while the discontinued Wildlife Series adds an appealing collectible element. The 2011 Grizzly had a mintage of 1,000,000 coins—substantial enough to make it accessible, but far below the production levels commonly associated with major annual bullion programs.

Coin Specifications

• Country: Canada
• Mint: Royal Canadian Mint
• Year: 2011
• Series: Canadian Wildlife Series
• Design: Grizzly Bear
• Denomination: $5 CAD
• Silver Content: 1 Troy Ounce
• Purity: .9999 Fine Silver
• Weight: 31.11 grams
• Diameter: 38 mm
• Thickness: Approximately 3.29 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Mintage: 1,000,000
• Obverse Designer: Susanna Blunt
• Reverse Designer: William Woodruff
• Legal Tender: Canada

The 2011 Canadian Grizzly Bear is an excellent choice for anyone who likes their stack to have a little more character than a standard bullion coin. With four-nines fine silver, sovereign backing, a discontinued series, and a classic Canadian wildlife design, it sits comfortably between straightforward bullion and collectible silver.

Stack Sensibly, Collect Creatively!