Description
The Tall Ships series is a collectible ode to Canada’s Golden Age of Sail. Each coin brings a different type of tall ship to the fore, beginning with the brigantine in 2022. The backbone of Canada’s marine industry in the 19th century, this versatile workhorse plied the coastal trade routes and sailed on the high seas. It was one of the legendary sailing vessels that transported goods and passengers to Canadian ports and beyond, where the tall ships served as a testament to this nation’s shipbuilding and seafaring abilities. The mintage is limited to 1,200. HST/GST exempt.
The Design:
Your coin’s reverse design by Canadian artist Bonnie Ross features a unique perspective that captures the majesty of the brigantine, a two-masted tall ship that played an important role in Canadian history. Backed by clouds that sit low on the horizon, two brigantines are shown on the open sea, where the wind fills their canvas sails. The reverse includes the word “CANADA”, a face value of “200 DOLLARS”, and the year “2022”. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
Did You Know?
Originally, “brig” was short for “brigantine” but it eventually came to signify a vessel with a different type of rigging than the brigantine. The brig is the larger of the two; it had two square-rigged masts that gave it greater sailing power for ocean passages but required a bigger crew.
One of the most famous Nova Scotia-built brigantines is the legendary ghost ship Mary Celeste, which was originally launched as the Amazon in 1861 (the tall ship was previously featured on one of our coins). Another Canadian brigantine, the Dei Gratia, came upon an abandoned Mary Celeste near the Azores in 1872, and the fate of the ship’s missing crew remains an unsolved mystery.
