Struck to mark the 500th anniversary of a pivotal voyage in world history, this 1997 commemorative 10 cent sterling silver coin and stamp set honors Italian navigator and cartographer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), the first European explorer since the Vikings to set foot on mainland North America. On June 24, 1497, Cabot and his crew made landfall along Canada's eastern coast. His discovery opened the continent to future settlement and trade.