Description
This beautiful 2018 fine silver proof cased dollar coin marks the 240th anniversary of Captain Cook’s arrival at Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island in 1778. The design features Cook’s (1728-1779) arrival at the summer village of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, at Nootka Sound, which drew more explorers and traders to Canada’s western shores. From the Bering Strait to the Antarctic Circle, and many of the Pacific isles in between, the British navigator charted more terra incognita than any other in his time.
The Design:
The design by renowned Canadian maritime artist John Horton presents towering mountains and the timbered headland of Bligh Island as the backdrop to the historical portrait, all precisely engraved in a superb proof finish and framed by a nautical twisted rope. Viewed in three-quarter profile, a stern-looking Cook keeps a watchful eye on his ship and crew while holding a telescope in one hand, his Admiralty orders in the other. Behind his left shoulder is HMS Discovery, which is moored a short distance away from HMS Resolution, whose crew is unrigging the ship and removing masts and spars in preparation for repairs. In the water, a group of Nuu-chah-nulth approach the Resolution in a canoe, ready to extend a friendly greeting. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
The front is engraved in a banner with the word “CANADA” and “Dollar,” and the date “1778-2018”. The coin contains about three quarters of an ounce of pure silver and has a limited mintage of 20,000. As a pure silver coin struck by the Royal Canadian Mint, this item is GST/HST exempt.
