10 Dollars - Elizabeth II The Polar Bear, selective gold plated

The Polar Bear dollar series has anchored Canadian wildlife coinage since the loonie's introduction in 1987, but this 2013 issue diverges sharply from circulation intent — it belongs to the Royal Canadian Mint's aggressive push into the collector-bullion hybrid market that accelerated after 2010, targeting buyers who wanted precious metal content alongside visual novelty. The selective gold plating was applied post-strike to specific design elements, a technique the RCM refined across multiple concurrent series during this period.

The .9999 fine silver specification — four nines purity — became an RCM house standard for collector issues around this time, distinguishing them from the .999 used by most competing mints.