Frozen in time in photos and film, the 100 year-old Canadian Arctic Expedition is now captured on the Royal Canadian Mint's 2013 Proof Silver dollar

OTTAWA, Jan. 8, 2013 /CNW/ - Passionate about making people discover Canada through its coins, the Royal Canadian Mint is today pleased to commemorate the watershed discoveries of the 1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition on its 2013 Proof Silver Dollar.  This flagship of the Mint's collector coin program celebrates another milestone of Canadian history by reviving the fascinating story of intrepid explorers, mapping Canada's Far North and studying its people, wildlife and resources to gain knowledge and understanding of previously unseen and unvisited parts of our planet.  The legacy of this historic undertaking is now preserved in 99.99% pure silver on the 2013 Proof Silver Dollar and several other 2013 Mint collector products. 

"The Royal Canadian Mint is proud to issue a great variety of collector coins which bring events of our past back to life and spark interest in learning more about Canada's fascinating history," said Ian E. Bennett, President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint. "The Canadian Arctic Expedition was one of our greatest adventures of the early 20^th century and we are delighted to bring back the spirit of exploration and discovery by devoting our 2013 Proof Silver Dollar to its 100^th anniversary".

In addition to the 2013 Proof Silver Dollar, the 100^th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition is commemorated on: the 2013 Brilliant Silver Dollar; the 2013 Fine Silver Proof Set; the 2013 $100 Gold Coin; and a duo of 99.99% pure gold and silver kilo coins.  All these products  can be ordered by directly contacting the Royal Canadian Mint at 1-800-267-1871 in Canada, 1-800-268-6468 in the US, or on the Internet at www.mint.ca.  These coins will also be sold at the Mint's boutiques in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver as well as through the Mint's global network of dealers and distributors, including participating Canada Post outlets.  Please see attached backgrounder for further product information.

About the Royal Canadian Mint
The Royal Canadian Mint is the Crown Corporation responsible for the minting and distribution of Canada's circulation coins. An ISO 9001-2008 certified company, the Mint is recognized as one of the largest and most versatile mints in the world, offering a wide range of specialized, high quality coinage products and related services on an international scale. For more information on the Mint, its products and services, visit. www.mint.ca

Images of the Mint's 100^th Anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition products are available by visiting ftp://communications:[email protected].

Backgrounder

THE ROYAL CANADIAN MINT'S
100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION
COMMEMORATIVE COINS

One hundred years after Canadian Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden despatched explorers and researchers on an ambitious and intrepid mission to map the Canadian Arctic and study its peoples, wildlife and geology, the Royal Canadian Mint is proud to celebrate the centennial of the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913 on its annual Proof Silver Dollar and other finely crafted precious metal collectibles.

This historic expedition was led by ethnologist Vilhjalmur Stefansson and zoologist Rudolph Anderson, whose teams split into a Northern Party, headed by Stefansson to undertake the bulk of the mapping exercise, while Anderson's Southern Party explored the geology, flora and fauna, and native inhabitants of the Arctic Mainland.  After three years of research over thousands of kilometres, the Canadian Arctic Expedition discovered new islands and mapped land which even local inhabitants had never seen. The Southern Party compiled 14 volumes of scientific data and gathered thousands of specimens and artefacts, some of which continue to educate Canadians through permanent national museum collections.

Reserved for milestone commemorations given the coin's reputation as the flagship of the Mint's annual collector coin program, the 2013 edition of the Proof Silver Dollar features a captivating design by artist Bonnie Ross whose illustration of three men standing in front of a gear-packed dog sled, ready to take their first north-bound steps into uncharted territory, captures the vision of the explorers as they would have posed for one last photograph before setting out on their historic journey 100 years ago.  The background of this scene is filled with the details of a compass rose, pointing northwards to show their intended destination. Double-dated 1913-2013, this 99.99% pure silver coin has a highly prized proof finish, which consists of a mirror-like background against which frosted design elements are elegantly contrasted.  Limited to a mintage of 40,000 coins world-wide, the 2013 Proof Silver Dollar is available for $59.95 CDN.

Bonnie Ross' design appears throughout the family of Silver Dollar products, which  includes a Brilliant Silver Dollar, limited to a mintage of 20,000 coins and available for $54.95 CDN, as well as a Fine Silver Proof Set featuring a Silver Dollar enhanced with selective gold plating, as well as all of Canada's 2013 circulation coinage (5-, 10-, 25- and 50-cents, as well as $1 and $2) rendered in 99.99% pure silver.  Limited to 25,000 sets world-wide, the set retails for $229.95 CDN.

The 100^th anniversary of the Canadian Arctic Expedition is also commemorated on the 2013 $100 Gold Coin.  On this coin, Bonnie Ross has captured the expedition at work, with a scene of a seated explorer peering through a sextant, while behind him a photographer operates a camera on a tripod as other members of this party and their sled dogs stand in front of an Arctic mountain range.  In place of an ordinary sky, the upper area of the coin is filled by a map outline showing the vast expanse of the Canadian Arctic, stretching from coast to coast to coast.  This 14-karat gold coin is limited to a world-wide mintage of 2,500 coins and retails for $599.95 CDN.

A final tribute to the Arctic discoveries of 1913 is found on an impressive duo of 99.99% pure gold and silver kilo coins.  Designed by Canadian artist W. David Ward, these feature a highly detailed portrait of the north shore of Baffin Island, overlooking Lancaster Sound, at the mouth of the Northwest Passage—a region that evokes the Arctic's various landscape elements: icebergs, glaciers, mountains, ice plains, and frozen waters.  Limited to a mintage of only 20 coins, the gold kilo retails for $69,000.00 CDN.  The silver kilo is limited to 750 coins and retails for $2,249.95 CDN.

SOURCE: Royal Canadian Mint