The Bigger Picture: Polar Bear. The Toonie’s polar bear has been standing along the floe edge ever since, almost always alone. But what if there’s more to its story? The fifth coin in this Bigger Picture series re-creates the Toonie’s polar bear design and incorporates it into a larger scene that highlights the rugged beauty of its Arctic habitat, where a female polar bear joins “Churchill”, our Toonie’s polar bear mascot, glimpsing a seal in the water beneath the sun and sundogs in the sky. Canada is home to more than half of the world’s polar bear population, or roughly 16,000 of the estimated 20,000-25,000 found worldwide. It is the only bear species to be considered a marine mammal (its scientific name, Ursus maritimus, means “maritime bear”) due in part to its dependence on sea ice for hunting and travelling. Underneath its thick coat, a polar bear’s skin is black, which optimizes solar heating. Its fur is also translucent – it just looks white because of its ability to reflect visible light. In the sky, sundogs (parhelia) frame the sun as it shines above the Arctic landscape in early summer. The obverse features a maple leaf pattern and the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. Coin comes encapsulated with black beauty box. Citadel Coins Halifax, Nova Scotia Official Royal Canadian Mint Distributor.
