Brown Bear - 1oz Proof Silver Coloured Tokelau Coin with Filigree

Snowflake Bear Series - Brown Bear

The second release in the Snowflake Bear Series features the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), a large bear whose principal range includes Russia, India, China, Canada and the United States (mostly Alaska), Scandinavia and Romania.  It is recognized as a national and state animal in many European Countries and is the most widely distributed of all bears.  It is the largest land-based predator on earth.  There are many subspecies of brown bears, some say as many as 90, while DNA analyses has identified as few as five clades.

Adult male bears are particularly aggressive, and mostly solitary, forming social hierarchies based on age and size.  They are one of the most omnivorous animals in the world and have been recorded as consuming the greatest variety of foods of any bear. 

Each coin is minted from 1oz of 999 pure silver and features the brown bear reclining on a tree trunk amidst a snowy landscape.  A unique feature of each coin is the hand-woven silver filigree 'snowflake' which has been incorporated into the coin.  The obverse features an image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and the national symbol of Tokelau, the Taluma, together with the weight and purity of the coin and the monetary denomination and country of issue, Tokelau.