22-Karat Gold Coin - SS Beaver (2011)
Full steam ahead!
Leading-edge laser technology creates a stunning black lasered effect for the 7th and final issue in this series.
For hundreds of years, sailing ships ruled the seas,
a golden era that ended with the arrival of steam
in the 19th century.
This exciting new technology reached Canada’s
northwest coast in 1836 in the form of the
SS Beaver, a stout, 31 m (101 ft) vessel built in
England for the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC).
She was considered to be on the cutting edge,
a rare sail-and-steam hybrid that generated a lot
of attention.
The Beaver sailed across the Atlantic Ocean, around
Cape Horn and up the coast to one of HBC’s furtrading
posts where her 4 m (13 ft) steam-powered
paddle wheels were installed.
After 27 years as a supply ship, the Beaver began
charting the coast for the Royal Navy. She also
served as a freighter and towboat. Her illustrious
career came to an abrupt end in 1888 when she ran
aground in Vancouver Harbour.
Highlights:
Handcrafted artistry combined with the latest minting technology has
produced a coin with ultra-crisp definition and relief that is distinguished
even more by its unique laser effect. It is struck in 22-karat gold and,
with a new reduced mintage, is a collector’s must-have.
Coin design:
The Beaver as she would have appeared in 1836, prior to the many
retrofits that marked her career. In the foreground, two workers await
her arrival on a supply-laden quay.
Specifications
- No.112076
- Mintage 2,800
- Composition22-karat gold (91.67% gold, 8.33 % silver)
- Finishproof (with unique laser effect on the reverse)
- Weight (g) 16
- Diameter (mm) 29
- Edgeserrated
- Certificateserialized
- Face value200 dollars
- ArtistJohn Mardon (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)
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