The Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Predator Series at the World Money Fair in Berlin on February 5, 2016, with the Cougar as its first release — a 1 oz .9999 fine silver coin and the start of a themed, finite collection depicting Canadian wildlife predators. The series released one new design per year, following the Cougar with the Wolf, Lynx, and Grizzly Bear, giving it the same closed, themed-set structure as the UK's Queen's Beasts rather than an open-ended annual program like the Maple Leaf. Each design has come from accomplished Canadian wildlife illustrators, with the inaugural Cougar coin credited to Emily Damstra.
Because the series is a small, finite set (four designs: Cougar, Wolf, Lynx, Grizzly Bear), completing it is a much more achievable short-term goal than an open-ended date run — a new buyer can realistically plan to acquire all four rather than facing a growing, indefinite checklist. Decide whether you're buying for the .9999 purity and Canadian-wildlife theme specifically, or simply want a complete, bounded silver set to display — both are reasonable goals for this particular series given its small size.
The dates serious Predator Series collectors specifically chase — the rest of the run trades close to melt value.
First release (the Cougar), introduced at the World Money Fair in Berlin — one design per year, each depicting a different Canadian predator (the series also includes the Wolf, Lynx, and Grizzly Bear), making it a finite, themed set rather than an open-ended annual program, similar in spirit to the Queen's Beasts.
Read the beginner's guide →
Open the collector's checklist →
Log each coin's year, cost basis, and photos, and see your set's value update with live spot prices — free to start.
Start tracking freeFour: the Cougar (2016), Wolf, Lynx, and Grizzly Bear — a small, finite themed set rather than an ongoing annual release.
0.9999 fine silver, matching the purity standard of the Royal Canadian Mint's other major silver bullion programs.
Structurally, yes — both are finite, themed sets rather than open-ended annual coins, though the Predator Series is smaller (four coins versus Queen's Beasts' 11) and features Canadian wildlife rather than British heraldic beasts.