A day in the life of the Bald Eagle is filled with activity from dusk until dawn and beyond. From the moment it awakens, the eagle is at work – tending to its nest, soaring high, hunting, feeding its young, and taking pause to eat and rest. Now, while he is at rest, let’s take a moment to study this apex hunter’s fearsome countenance.

Dominated by a massive, sharply curved yellow beak, the adult eagle’s distinctive head is covered to the neck with long, smooth white feathers. The arrangement of the feathers above its large golden eyes gives the adult eagle a frowning appearance that is perhaps a factor in the bird’s symbolic associations with power. The most important attribute on this iconic head, however, is the eyes. It is this gifted vision that empowers the eagle to spot relatively small prey underwater or in grassy plains while soaring hundreds of metres in the air – despite these prey animals’ natural camouflage.

The Bald Eagle breathes through “naris” or nostrils on each side of its large beak. The beak itself, though impressive in size and shape, is used almost exclusively for tearing food and does not play a major role in hunting or fighting – the tasks of the bird’s massive talons.

An apex predator with no natural enemies as an adult, the Bald Eagle has long been a potent symbol of vision, power, and stoicism. The adult boasts a wing span of more than 2 metres, a standing height of about 1 metre, and an average weight of up to 7 kilograms. Nesting in tall trees near large bodies of water and well away from human habitation, Bald Eagles survive on a diet of fish, birds, invertebrates, and small mammals, but are opportunistic feeders who will also steal from other predators and eat carrion.

Design
Designed by Canadian artist Claudio D’Angelo your coin features a Bald Eagle just having caught a fish. In the lower left side of the image, the water splashes high as the eagle wrenches the fish from its watery home. The eagle dominates the image, its stunning wings spread wide as it is viewed in full-body profile from its right side. Here we see the Bald Eagle’s characteristic dark body and wings, white head and tail, and powerful legs and talons. In the distant background, a rocky point dotted with sparse conifers reaches out into the water, showcasing the Bald Eagle’s preference for isolated waterside habitats.

Packaging
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a black box accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

The outer black box that the maroon clamshell is housed in has minor damage on the side, does not affect the item in any way.

Specifications

• Model No.                 130524
• Mintage                     8,500
• Composition             99.99% pure silver
• Finish                        proof
• Weight (g)                 31.39
• Diameter (mm)          38
• Edge                          serrated
• Certificate                 serialized
• Face value                20 dollars
• Artist                         Claudio D’Angelo (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)