EHR meets UHR on this reimagining of Ontario’s heraldic bear.

Emblematic of strength and courage in the wild, the black bear (Ursus americanus) is found in the forests of nearly every Canadian province and territory, including Ontario, where its prominent placement in the provincial coat of arms—on the crest above the shield—alludes to that province’s abundance of wildlife. Reimagined in a heraldically stylized manner on this 99.99% pure silver coin, the bear’s head is raised and its features pushed to the forefront thanks to Extraordinarily High Relief, allowing Ontario’s heraldic animal to confront the viewer eye to eye while maintaining a watchful presence over flora emblems engraved in Ultra High Relief. It’s a stunning rendering of Canadian emblematic art!

EHR and UHR provide maximum relief height!

Good to know

A Canadian heraldic animal, reimagined and refreshed. Canada is represented by many different symbols and heraldic emblems, and this 99.99% pure silver coin is a fresh twist on emblematic art by reimagining a heraldic animal—the black bear from the Ontario Coat of Arms—in a whole new way!

New combined engraving technique. Two engraving techniques have been combined for maximum relief on one side of the coin: the reverse design centres on an intricately sculpted bear rendered in Extraordinarily High Relief (EHR) with a peak height of 4.8 mm, while the surrounding wreath is struck in Ultra High Relief (UHR).

Flora and fauna are represented. The black bear is widespread throughout the forests of Ontario, which is also home to the three other flora emblems found on this coin: the white pine (Ontario’s provincial tree) and trillium (Ontario’s floral emblem), and the maple leaf that represents Canada.

Woodgrain field pattern. Both sides of the coin feature an engraved woodgrain field pattern that is not just aesthetically pleasing, it also serves as a visual connection to the natural world that has inspired most of Canada’s identifying emblems.

High relief, low mintage. Only 2,000 coins are available to collectors worldwide.

Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.

No GST/HST

Did you know?

Blazon is the language of heraldry: it provides an exact description of attitudes (position) and attributes in formal heraldic terminology that ensures an accurate reconstruction of the achievement. The blazon of the Ontario Coat of Arms describes the crest as “a bear passant Sable,” meaning a black bear (“Sable” is the term for black) walking with its right forepaw raised, while this coin’s forward-facing bear would be described as “a bear’s head affronty.”

Behind closed doors

“The symbols in the wreath inspired me to think of a walk in the woods, a common activity enjoyed by many in the numerous provincial parks and hiking trails throughout the picturesque province of Ontario. Therefore, I placed the bear in a cartouche frame that used curled decoration to evoke the curls of wood generated when woodworking and carving or shaping a piece of wood with a plane.

It was a real challenge to design this coin to incorporate the elements in such a way that facilitated the strict requirements for placement to gain maximum effect with the high relief format. I tried to place the elements to take best advantage of the relief depth and the Royal Canadian Mint’s extraordinarily talented engravers. It is a fun design and I hope you like it!”

– Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, Artist

"This coin’s reverse was designed by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin, the greatest heraldic artist in Canada today, and showcases the bear on the crest of Ontario’s coat of arms. A symbol of strength and courage for some, wisdom and tenderness for others, the bear is the undisputed king of our forests. The bear stands in its natural habitat, surrounded by pine branches, maple leaves and trilliums, and proudly lifts its strong head to look out with an expressive, intelligent gaze."

– Samy Khalid, Ph.D., Chief Herald of Canada

“By combining both technologies, we’re pushing the envelope in terms of the number of design elements that can be present on one Extraordinarily High Relief (EHR) coin. In the past, our EHR coins featured just one central element; here, we’ve combined the EHR bear with an intricate wreath that frames it beautifully, and since that wreath is in Ultra High Relief (UHR), we’re able to really play up the different shapes of the flowers and leaves. Engraving/modelling is the fun part, while the biggest challenge is processing the tooling for striking these coins—given the high relief, we had to take a completely different approach, and all the added details you see here definitely made it more challenging. »

– Louis-Rémi Labelle, Engraver-3D Artist

About the design

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

Set against a woodgrain pattern, the reverse design by Cathy Bursey-Sabourin features a reimagining of the black bear crest from the Ontario Coat of Arms. Rendered in Extraordinarily High Relief (EHR) and placed in a cartouche frame, the bear’s head is presented in a heraldically stylized manner and featured in a forward-facing pose, allowing it to meet the viewer’s gaze. The surrounding wreath is engraved in Ultra High Relief (UHR) and composed of white pine (Ontario’s arboreal emblem), trillium (Ontario’s floral emblem) and stylized maple leaves (a nod to the Arms of Canada), while the pine cones, trillium buds and maple keys signify renewal and hope for the future. The woodgrain pattern also appears on the obverse, which features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

Product # 246090

$50 Fine Silver Coin - Heraldic Bear (2025)