Enhance your collection with the 2023 instalment of the Specimen Set – Conservation Stories: Greater Sage-Grouse issue. This is the fourth set in a series dedicated to raising awareness of wildlife conservation and species recovery efforts in Canada. It includes every denomination of Canadian circulation coinage and remains one of the most popular sets produced annually by the Royal Canadian Mint.

Experience the elaborate courtship display of the male greater sage-grouse captured on the 2023 specimen dollar. This coin highlights the endangered status of a species occupying just 7% of its historical range in Canada, with fewer than 250 individuals remaining in the wild.

Collaborative efforts, including a captive breeding and reintroduction program led by the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, offer hope for the recovery of both the sage-grouse and its sagebrush habitat. As of early 2022, 187 conservation-born sage-grouse have been released onto protected lands in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, home to only five known communal mating grounds (leks).

Ongoing research and population management strategies aim to slow the population's decline and increase its chances of survival.

This affordable set's educational theme makes it an ideal gift for animal lovers of all ages and a perfect starter set for new collectors.

Good to know

Qualifies for free shipping
Includes serialized certificate
6 coins in the set
The $1 coin is the specimen dollar, featuring the sage-grouse

About the $1 coin

The set's specimen dollar showcases the greater sage-grouse, an endangered species inhabiting the same grassland ecosystem as the swift fox featured in 2022. This specimen dollar is exclusive to this set and not available for individual purchase.

About the greater sage-grouse

In 2012, Canada's greater sage-grouse population dwindled. Habitat loss and degradation due to human activities are primary reasons for the decline. Designated as endangered in Canada in 1998, this species is protected under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). There are only five known leks (traditional dancing and mating grounds) in Canada, where sage-grouse congregate from March to May for elaborate courtship displays. The male's efforts to attract a mate involve a series of impressive displays, including struts, coos, wing swooshes, raised feathers, and the inflation of two yellow air sacs on its chest, producing a distinctive "pop" sound that can be heard up to 3 kilometres away. Sagebrush, the shrub for which the sage-grouse is named, plays a critical role in their survival, constituting a significant portion of their diet and serving as nesting sites and respite from predators.

About the design

Your specimen set is elegantly packaged in a book-style format with a removable lens for easy coin viewing. Upon opening, the bifold book displays the Mint logos and coins in two rows of three. All six coins are presented clockwise from the top left and include the 50 cents, followed by the $2, the special-themed $1, 5 cents, 10 cents, and 25 cents, all with textured backgrounds reminiscent of the grassland ecosystem.

Obverse: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

The obverse showcases Queen Elizabeth II's effigy by Susanna Blunt, featuring a special marking with four pearls symbolizing the four effigies that have graced Canadian coins and the double date of her reign. The inscriptions "Elizabeth II," "D.G. Regina," and “1952-2022” adorn the edge of the coin.

Reverse: The sage-grouse

Designed by Canadian artist David Caesar, the set-exclusive specimen dollar depicts a male greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) performing its elaborate courtship display within its sagebrush (genus Artemisia) habitat. The grouse is standing on its right leg against a textured grassland background. The initials “DC” are located in the bottom left section of the coin, while the text “Canada,” “Dollar,” and “2023” appear around the coin's edge.

Product # 245933

Specimen Set - Conservation Stories: Greater Sage-Grouse (2023)