25 Cents - Elizabeth II Northen Pintail

Series: Ducks of Canada

Obverse

Head of Queen Elizabeth II, as at 77 years of age, bare headed, wearing necklace and earrings, facing right.

Script: Latin

Lettering: ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA

Unabridged legend: ELIZABETH II DEI GRATIA REGINA

Translation: Elizabeth II Queen by the grace of God

Engraver: Susan Taylor

Designer: Susanna Blunt

Reverse

A breeding pair of Pintails, floating serenely on the surface of a lily-pad covered pond.

Script: Latin

Lettering:
CANADA
25 CENTS 2014

Designer: Trevor Tennant

Edge

Plain

Mint

Comments

The pintail owes its name to the long, tapering tail feathers that accentuate its slender appearance. The male can be recognized by his chocolate-brown head and blue-gray beak, which stand out against the white of his neck. This mix of contrasts continues on his black, grey and white back, as well as on his grey wings punctuated by a black spot iridescent with green, known as the mirror.

As for the female, her bronze mirror and mottled brown livery provide essential camouflage during nesting, while also conferring a discreet elegance.

The pintail is distinguished by its agility and speed in flight. They are among the first migratory birds to return to their Canadian breeding grounds after wintering in warmer latitudes. Most breed in the western Arctic and Prairies, where budding birdwatchers are delighted to observe this graceful duck, affectionately nicknamed the "greyhound of the air".

This is an automatic translation. The original text is:

Le canard pilet doit son nom aux longues plumes effilées de sa queue qui accentuent son allure élancée. On reconnaît le mâle à sa tête brun chocolat et à son bec bleu-gris, qui tranchent contre le blanc de son cou. Ce mélange de contrastes se poursuit sur son dos noir, gris et blanc ainsi que sur ses ailes grises ponctuées d'une tache noire irisée de vert que l'on nomme miroir.

Quant à la femelle, son miroir bronze et sa livrée brun moucheté lui procurent un camouflage essentiel lors de la nidification tout en lui conférant une élégance discrète.

Le canard pilet se démarque par son agilité et sa rapidité en vol. Il est au nombre des premiers oiseaux migrateurs à regagner son aire de nidification canadienne après une période d'hivernage passée sous des latitudes plus clémentes. La plupart se reproduisent dans la région ouest de l'Arctique et dans les Prairies, où les ornithologues en herbe peuvent observer avec ravissement ce canard gracieux qu'ils surnomment affectueusement le « lévrier des airs ».

See also

• Bird

• 25 Cents - Elizabeth II (Mallard)
• 25 Cents - Elizabeth II (Wood Duck)
• 25 Cents - Elizabeth II (Harlequin Duck)
• 25 Cents - Elizabeth II (Cinnamon Teal)

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Numista Rarity index: 79

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