It is the unknown Titanic of the West Coast. Stranded on the rocky outcrop, the 75 metre (245 ft) long steamship, was pounded by wind and waves for roughly 40 hours before eventually foundering during the early evening of October 25. The tragic sinking of the SS Princess Sophia left no survivors, only unanswered questions that linger a century later. Your selectively coloured coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the worst marine disaster along the Pacific Northwest Coast. Bring home this centennial commemoration of a tragedy that occurred in the icy waters of the Pacific Northwest. Special features: A DESIGN FIRST! Engraved on your coin is an innovative first: an edge-engraved rope frame. This technical achievement provides undulating relief at the furthest edge of the coin, fully encircling the nautical theme. A TRAGEDY NEVER FORGOTTEN! Combining selective colour and engraving, your 99.99percent pure silver coin commemorates the centennial of the tragic sinking of the SS Princess Sophia and the loss of more than 350 lives. Colour heightens the sense of tragedy on your coin where the colour palette conveys rough seas and icy wind that night, with waves crashing against the hull and sweeping over the reef at the moment of impact. ENGRAVING ADDS GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXT! The reverse image fills the water between the engraved shores of Lynn Canal, the narrow Alaskan inlet where the SS Princess Sophia foundered. NOT JUST ONE FOR THE HISTORY OR NAVAL ENTHUSIASTS! Your coin’s captivating mix of colour and engraving makes it a stunning addition to your collection, regardless of theme. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins. Limited to 6,000 coins worldwide. Your coin is crafted from one ounce of 99.99percent pure silver. Your coin is GST/HST exempt. Design: The powerful coin image by Yves Bérubé presents a dramatic depiction of an event that has been called the unknown Titanic of the West Coast. The artist’s choice of colours convey the rough seas in the early morning hours of October 24, 1918, when a blinding winter storm pushed the SS Princess Sophia off course and on a fateful collision with a wave-swept reef. The colour image fills the space between the engraved shores of Lynn Canal, the Alaskan Inlet where the events took place, which adds geographic context to the design. While the face value “20 DOLLARS”, the word “CANADA” and the year “2018″ are engraved on both shores, the reverse is framed by an innovative nautical rope motif engraved to the edge. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. A rising barometer had given the Captain and crew a sense of hope that the gale would soon subside; however, the converging weather systems resulted in the storm intensifying. It’s hard to know exactly how many lives were lost in the tragedy. The main reason for the discrepancy in the passenger manifest was largely due to the fact that several workers had got on board in Skagway to replace crewmembers who had come down with the flu plus and there were possible stowaways on board. The tragedy was pushed off the front pages of the newspapers by world events, from the Spanish flu influenza to the end of the First World War. Many of the recovered bodies arrived in Vancouver on November 11, 1918, just as the city began celebrating the Armistice. Packaging: Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a black beauty box. This item is in the category “Coins & Paper Money\Coins: Canada\Commemorative”. The seller is “gatewestcoins” and is located in this country: CA. This item can be shipped to Canada, United States.
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Canada
- Certification: RCM
- Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated