Get set for adventure with our first-ever kilogram coin featuring a unique oval and concave shape, with special finishes and ultra-high relief, that takes you to the Ottawa River where a team of Voyageurs has just cleared a treacherous cascade, their canoe almost launching itself from this incredibly sculpted and immersive design. Travelling to the Great Lakes was a gruelling voyage. Voyageurs paddled as much as 50 strokes a minute, and carried hundreds of kilograms across difficult portages. Their endurance, strength and courage were unimaginable, but the lure of money and adventure was stronger still. By the start of the 18th century, 25% of Montreal's men were Voyageurs, regardless of class or social status. This population dropped as the population grew through the 18th century. To this day, Canada's untamedwaters continue to lure thrill-seekers into the wilderness.

Your coin is an upscale treasure celebrating yourenthusiasm for Voyageurs history! Order today!

Special features:

• A WORLD'S FIRST! Your kilogram coin features an oval and concave shape with ultra-high relief and antique finish, creating an exquisite and highly collectible numismatic treasure.
• CELEBRATES THE VOYAGEURS! Large oval beautifully frames the design while its concave shape heightens the sense of perspective for an unforgettable immersive experience celebrating the Voyageurs of Canada's founding industry.
• ULTRA-HIGH RELIEF! The ultra-high relief delivers incredible depthand dimension which are further enhanced by the coin's antique finish. This coin's powerful visual narrative was crafted in compliance with the strict technical requirements of minting—an exceptional achievement in art and technology!
• 1 KILOGRAM OF PURE SILVER! A supremely crafted masterpiece struck in 1 kilogram of pure silver. Your coin is an exceptional work of art that will be the treasured highlight of your distinctive collection.
• AN EPIC MASTERPIECE! Your coin commemorates the Voyageurs, a key figurein Canadian history that continues to ignite the imagination today. This coin is a rare and upscale treasure to indulge the most dedicated history enthusiasts, especially those with a heightened interest in the fur trade and its daring Voyageurs.
• DEMONSTRATES OUR TECHNICAL PROWESS! Your coin showcases incredible artistry and the Mint's technical prowess that has made it a global leader for over a century.
• A MASTERPIECE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS! This coin measures an amazing 161.8 millimetres across its length, and is struck in 1 kilogram of fine silver.
• SERIALIZED CERTIFICATE! Your coin includes a serialized certificate!
• LOW MINTAGE! Limited to just 400 coins worldwide.
• NO GST/HST!

Design:

Your oval-shaped, concave, toned-and-lacquered coin is 99.99% pure silver. It has a long diameter of 161.8 millimetres and a short diameter of 100 millimetres, with a nominal metal weight of 1,010 grams. RCM engraver Matt Bowen has created this immersive design of Voyageurs paddling a canoe in the upper Ottawa River. They have just cleared a treacherous cascade, the force of the current almost launching the canoe from the coin's ultra-high relief. Water churns beneath theirpaddles as the Voyageurs move in unison, their quick and coordinated strokes ensuring they pass throughthe rapids intact. Deeply carved boulders give riseto formidable riverbanks where the white water begins. In the distance, the river disappears around a bend, its shores choked with coniferous trees that greatly enhance the sense of perspective and the vastness of the landscape.

Did you know…

• Voyageurs were the carriers of the fur tradefrom the 1690s to the 1850s. They worked 14-hour days as they travelled routes that spanned 3,500 km which some did not survive. While the majority were French-Canadian and Metis, there were English, German and Iroquois Voyageurs as well.
• Inexperienced paddlers would begin as milieus (middlemen) in the centre of the canoe. The avant (bowman) was located at the front to guide the canoe, and instructedthe gouvernail (steersman) at the back. Their positions earned twice the wage of the milieus. The highest post was the express, travelling twice as fast to transportimportant messages and individuals.
• The Voyageurs' workday often began at 3 am, and breakfast was usually eaten on a beach before 8. No other lengthy rests were allowed, except those forced by inclement weather, but paddling would cease for a few minutes every hour so the men could smoke. These breaks were so important that distances were measured in “pipes.” A 32 km lake would be four pipes long, depending upon windand waves.
• Voyageurs were also known as “engagés” (“contract employees” in French) as they performed a variety of roles for the fur trading companies.“Freemen” were independent trappers and traders who were not bound by any employment contract.
• Feeding men who were burning 5,000 calories a day was a major challenge. With no time for fishing, portable, high-energy food became essential, and pemmican was the key. Made from dried caribou or bison, pemmican could be preserved for almost a year, and just 226 g of the highly concentrated food equalled 3.6 kg of fresh meat or fish.

Packaging:

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maple wooden box with a black beauty box.

Order today!