10 April 2020
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The Royal Canadian Mint have issued a coin featuring an 'ice edge', resembling the ice that trapped Sir John Franklin's two ships during an expedition in the 1840s.
Until recently, Sir John Franklin's lost expedition has been one of Canada's greatest mysteries. But after more than ninety different search expeditions, the remains of the two lost ships were finally discovered, in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
The Royal Canadian Mint's new pure silver $50 coin marks the 175th anniversary of the ill-fated expedition, and features an artist's rendition of the doomed expedition, including the ship HMS Terror stuck in the ice. The large coin has a diameter of over 68mm.
According to the Mint:
"The coin's corrugated edge resembles jagged ice, which has HMS Terror firmly in its grasp on the reverse. In a desperate attempt to survive, the surviving crew and officers are seen abandoning the ship, with one group in the distance hauling a lifeboat towards King William Island."
The coin has a limited mintage of just 750 and has already sold out.
Mintage: 750
Composition: 99.99% pure silver
Finish: proof
Weight (g): 157.6
Diameter (mm): 68.81
Edge: interrupted serrations
Certificate: serialized
Face value: 50 dollars
Artist: Matt Bowen (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
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