$20 for $20 Series: 2013 Wolf

The 8th coin in the Royal Canadian Mint's $20 for $20 series. This one has a wolf on it. Another good looking design, in my opinion, and definitely worth a buy. Like the other $20 for $20 coins, this is 1/4 ounce of 99.99% pure silver and has a $20 face value.

Hiding gold and silver coins in a book

Have some gold/silver you want to hide somewhere where crooks won't find it? This video shows how you can hollow out a hard-covered book so you can store precious items inside. It costs almost nothing to make (only a little time) but is very effective to keep your gold/silver out of sight.

2013 Owl Shaman Holding Goose

This 1/25 ounce gold coin from the Royal Canadian Mint has received mixed reactions. People who like native Canadian art tend to like it (I would put myself in this category) whereas many other people thought the design looked a little creepy. The image on the coin is actually from a sculpture (with the same name) by a well known Inuit artist.

Like the other 1/25 ounce gold coins, this one has a face value of 50 cents.

2013 1/2 Ounce Year of the Snake

I have to say, I don't normally buy the Chinese zodiac coins. It is not that I don't like them, it is just that I never found one I really liked and that set itself apart from all the rest. I got this coin as a gift - to be perfectly honest I didn't even know it was out there - and I love it!

The design is great. A coiled snake with the Chinese characters for the snake displayed on the snake's skin. I think they did a great job and I can't think of a better Year of the Snake design that I have ever seen.

O Canada Series - The Beaver

This is the second coin in the O Canada series of 1/2 ounce silver coins (from the Royal Canadian Mint). I think they did a great job on this coin, just like the last, as I really like the design of the beaver cutting down a tree.

Are Canadian $20 for $20 coins legal tender?

There have been many discussion online (mostly in forums and on YouTube) about if the Royal Canadian Mint's $20 for $20 coins are actually legal tender. The coins, which cost $20 dollars each when purchased directly from the mint, have a $20 face value. Many people have been worried that they will not be able to exchange their coins back for $20. This video looks to answer some questions about these coins and help reduce the misinformation that is circulating on the internet.

$20 for $20 Series: 2011 Canoe

This was the second coin released in the Royal Canadian Mint's $20 for $20 series and is largely regarded as having the best design of the series. The design features a boy paddling a modern canoe and his reflection is a native Canadian paddling a traditional canoe. If you flip the coin upside down, the native paddler has the boy as his reflection. Overall, the design is absolutely beautiful and that is one reason why this coin fetches such high prices on the secondary market.

Like all of the coins in this series, this coin is 1/4 ounce of 99.99% pure silver and has a $20 face value. The mintage for this coin was 250,000 but, like all $20 for $20 coins, it sold out quickly.

2011 1/2 gram gold Cougar

Here is one of the smallest coins you are likely to ever see - a 1/2 gram coin. Even smaller than the 1/25 ounce gold coins, these are the smallest ever made by the Royal Canadian Mint. The coins are 99.99% pure gold and have a 25 cent face value.

This coin features a cougar's head on the coin. My first thought was that it was odd to have such a large animal featured on such a small coin. Don't get me wrong, I really like the design and think it looks great - I just thought they would try to market a small coin like this by putting on a small animal. Either way, I am still very glad I bought this.

Junk Silver Investing in Canada

Many silver investors, especially those in the USA, rely heavily on junk silver (old, circulation silver with a silver content lower than sterling - lower than 92.5%). They can often find amazing deals and get the coins at near spot price.

However, many countries, like Canada and Australia do not have such deals. It is not necessarily the coins themselves that are more expensive, but rather the taxes or regulations. This video talks about the realities of junk silver investing in Canada and how that impacts investments.

2013 1/2 Gram Hummingbird Gold Coin

The Royal Canadian Mint has come out with another 0.5 gram gold coin. Like the others, these are 99.99% pure gold and have a face value of 25 cents.

I think this was a great image to put on such a small coin. When you look at a hummingbird, you think of a beautiful, tiny and delicate animal. It is fitting that such an animal would be on such a beautiful, small, delicate coin.

Here is a video where I go into a little more detail about it and you can get a good look at the detailing on the coin.

The Value of a Dollar: US Dollars vs. Other Forms of Money

A recent trip to the USA got me thinking about the value of national currencies, like the US dollar, and how it compares to other common forms of "money".

List of $20 for $20 Coins

The Royal Canadian Mint regularly produces $20 for $20 coins. Each coin is 1/4 ounce of 99.99% pure silver and has a $20 face value. The great thing about these coins is that they only cost $20 to buy (if you get them directly from the mint).

Here is a complete list of the coins and links showing off the coins that I own. If I am missing any, let me know.

Collection (16 of 21):

1) 2011 Five Maples

2) 2011 Canoe

3) 2012 Polar Bear

4) 2012 The Queen's Diamond Jubilee

5) 2012 Farewell to the Penny

6) 2012 Magical Reindeer

7) 2013 Hockey

8) 2013 Wolf

9) 2013 Iceberg and Whale

10) 2013 Santa

11) 2014 Canada Goose

12) 2014 Bobcat

13) 2014 Summertime

14) 2014 Snowman

15) 2015 Bugs Bunny

16) 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup

17) 2015 Superman

18) 2015 Gingerbread Man

19) 2016 Tyrannosaurus Rex

20) 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

21) 2016 Star Trek: Enterprise

20 for 20 Series: 2012 Polar Bear

This is the 3rd coin in the Royal Canadian Mint's 20 for 20 series. Like the other coins in the series, this is 1/4 ounce of 99.99% pure silver, has a $20 face value and retailed for $20 when it was released. Also, like all coins in this series (except the first) it has a mintage of 250,000 coins.

I really like this coin as it feature a Polar Bear swimming. I am partial to animal themed coins and this one did not disappoint. I even liked how the sleeve/certificate of authenticity were designed. Overall, this is one of my favourite coins in the series.

List of Royal Canadian Mint 1/2 Gram Gold Coins

The Royal Canadian Mint has recently started producing its smallest gold coins - 0.5 gram coins. The coins are 99.99% pure gold and have a 25 cent face value.

Here is a list of those coins along with links showing the coins that I own. If I have missed any coins please let me know.

Collection (5/8):

1) 2010 Caribou

2) 2011 Cougar

3) 2013 Hummingbird

4) 2014 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep 

5) 2014 Eastern Chipmunk

6) 2015 Grizzly Bear

7) 2015 Diwali: Festival of Lights

8) 2015 Rock Rabbit