Composition : 99.95% platinum
Mintage : 200

The Plains Bison: A Symbol of Strength and Determination

FromthetimeoftheIceAgeuntilthelate1800s,themagnificentplainsbison(Bisonbison)reignedasthe dominantland-grazinganimalthroughoutCanada'sgrasslandregions,fromSouthernManitobatoAlberta. Movingacrossthelandscapeinlarge,free-roamingherds,theirnumbersandimpressivephysicalattributes contributed to their widely-held reputation as a symbol of strength.

Theplainsbison - colloquiallyreferredto as thebuffalo - iseasilyidentifiedbyitshighshoulder hump,the curved black horns on the sides of its head, and the thick, shaggy brown-black hair that make up its fur, beard and mane. With a height of up to 2 metres and weighing over a tonne, the bull cuts a formidable figure indeed.

These majestic beasts may have poor eyesight, but their excellent hearing and keen sense of smell allow them to quicklydetectchangesandintrusionsintotheirenvironment.Fromadistance,thenormallymild-mannered bison may appear quite docile; however, it is surprisingly fast and agile, and reacts aggressively when provoked orcompelledtodefenditsyoung.Confrontationsarealsocommoneachyearduringthesummermating season; should one bull challenge another's claim to a mate, either will attempt to assert itself by snorting and stampingattheground.Whenthisfailstodiscouragethechallenger,abattleofwillsensuesasthe two competingsuitorschargeeachotherandbuttheadsina displayofbruteforceamidsttheopenprairie landscape.

Sadly,huntingpushedthespeciestonear-extinctionbythestartofthe20thcentury.Thewidespread disappearanceofthe grasslands - oneof Canada'smost endangeredhabitats - hasalsolimitedtheprospects forthe recoveryofCanada'swildbisonpopulation.Butsomeofthebison'straditionalmigrationroutescan still be seen from the air - a permanent reminder of the past, which was carved into the landscape over time by the instinctive passage of millions of hooves.



THE BISON - CHALLENGE FOR POWER - 2014 CANADIAN COINS is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 26- GOLD, PLATINE & PALLADIUM COINS and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.