MONARCH MIGRATION Butterfly 3 Oz Silver Coin 50$ Canada 2017

The reverse of the coin designed by Canadian artist Graham Spaull aptly captures the enchanting beauty of a beloved summer resident of Canada, whose epic migration is perhaps unrivalled in the insect world. Resplendent in full colour, the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) displays its orange-and-black wings as it approaches a patch of milkweeds (Asclepias). The tall, leafy stems are engraved in fine detail to represent an important part of the story: the milkweed is the monarch's host plant. It is essential to sustaining monarch populations, since the butterfly deposits its eggs on the leaves that will exclusively sustain the larvae (caterpillar). On the bottom of the reverse, the inscription: "CANADA" – the issue country. The obverse of the coin depicts the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the inscriptions: "ELIZABETH II" – the name of the Queen, "2017" – the year of issue, "D · G · REGINA" – Dei Gratia Regina and "50 DOLLARS" – the face value.