This 2015 $15 fine silver coin is the seventh coin in an exciting series by the Royal Canadian Mint, which highlights significant milestones and eras in Canadian exploration throughout history. It aims to capture the joy of adventure and discovery, esteeming the bold explorers whose thirst for the unknown have helped to shape Canadian identity. This series features beautiful coins that are available individually or in a 10-coin subscription! This coin is struck in about 3/4 of an ounce (23.17 grams) of 99.99% fine silver, and has a mintage of 15,000 pieces worldwide. As a pure silver coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is GST/HST-exempt.

The Design:
The reverse design by Canadian artist John Mantha salutes the countless adventurers who braved Canada's wild rivers with a design inspired by Simon Fraser's historic voyage through Hell's Gate (British Columbia), considered one of the most treacherous passages to be found. 

About "Hells Gate", British Columbia:
The name "Hells Gate" was coined by Simon Fraser, who in 1808 described this narrow passage as "a place where no human should venture, for surely these are the gates of Hell." But even before the arrival of Simon Fraser, as early as the end of the last ice age, Hells Gate was a First Nations congregation ground for settlement and salmon fishing. It has been suggested that the migration patterns of these people resembled the migration patterns of the salmon along this river. Salmon in the Fraser River used Hells Gate as a passage on their route to upstream spawning grounds. Constricted by the incredibly narrow passage and high water velocity, this part of the upstream journey was extraordinarily difficult for salmon, and they would hover along the shores of the river or rest in its back-eddies. As a result, the geology of Hells Gate's gave Indigenous fishers plentiful opportunities to readily catch the salmon congregated at the river's edge attempting to elude the strong currents and rough waters.