2015 Canadian $20 Lost Ships in Canadian Waters: Franklin's Lost Expedition - 1 oz Fine Silver Coin

2015 Canadian $20 Lost Ships in Canadian Waters: Franklin's Lost Expedition - 1 oz Fine Silver Coin

Face Value: $20
Mintage: 7,000
Composition: 99.99% Silver
Weight (g): 31.39
Diameter (mm): 38
Finish: Proof

It was the sensational story of its time, one that still captivates the imagination 170 years later. Under Sir John Franklin's command, two Royal Navy ships set sail with every expectation of success in May of 1845 to chart the last unknown part of the Northwest Passage—yet they never returned. Subsequent expeditions who searched for the missing ships uncovered stories and relics; then, in September 2014 came news that stunned the world: Canada's Victoria Strait Expedition had discovered the wreck of H.M.S. Erebus, Franklin's flagship, lying on the Arctic seabed. This scientific breakthrough raises the possibility that new evidence could help solve some of the lingering mysteries surrounding the lost expedition and its final days, for what really happened to the Franklin expedition? In its Lost Ships in Canadian Waters series, the Royal Canadian Mint commemorates this famously ill-fated voyage with a coin that depicts Franklin's ships before they were lost to the ice and cold waters of the Canadian North.

A prestigious addition to your Canadiana, history or commemorative display! Order yours today!

Special features:
EDGE LETTERING: Your coin includes edge lettering bearing the names "H.M.S. TERROR" and "H.M.S. EREBUS"
Your coin is the second in the Lost Ships in Canadian Waters series that commemorates well-known vessels lost in Canadian waters, and the stories that have emerged from the events surrounding their final fate.
This coin serves as a unique commemoration of the ill-fated Franklin expedition and its importance to the scientific exploration of Canada's Arctic region.
A stunning colour portrait of H.M.S. Erebus and H.M.S. Terror framed within the coastlines where the ships were abandoned in 1848.
Your coin is also a poignant reminder of the 2014 discovery of H.M.S. Erebus by a Parks Canada-led expedition, which was a truly historic moment for Canada; the find has added a new chapter to a story that has captivated so many, and may finally offer answers to the enduring questions that surround the expedition's demise.
Your coin is GST/HST exempt and has a limited worldwide mintage.

Design:
The reverse design features Canadian marine artist John Horton's depiction of the Franklin expedition's H.M.S. Erebus in the foreground, with H.M.S. Terror to starboard. Edging their way through ice-filled waters, the three-masted wooden vessels are seen travelling at a reduced speed under shortened canvas. The cool colour palette recreates the blue hues of the sky in daylight and the darker, icy waters of the Arctic. This stunning portrait situates the ships off of the northwest coast of King William Island, providing geographical context for their location when first deserted in 1848. Edge lettering bearing the names "H.M.S. TERROR" and "H.M.S. EREBUS" further commemorates the two vessels and the 129 men who were lost.

Packaging:
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a custom beauty box.