Royal Astronomical Society of Canada 2018 1oz Silver Coin. Royal Astronomical Society of Canada 2018 1oz Silver Coin: 150 year anniversary. Founded in 1868, The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) has nurtured the passion of astronomers while fostering the curiosity of anyone who has ever looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond. We are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the RASC with an awe-inspiring (and scientifically accurate) reverse design that adds a photo-realistic twist to the Societys sesquicentennial logo! To top it all off, the design includes an authentic meteorite fragment, which is a fitting tribute to the contributions of RASC members. Front and centre on your coin, the extra-terrestrial piece of our solar system was sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Argentina, where a large fragment was first documented in 1576. A polycrystalline coarse octahedrite, the IA iron meteorite was recovered from one of 26 impact craters formed roughly 4,500 years ago, when a shower of metallic meteorites dispersed fragments across an area of roughly 320 square kilometres. The typical composition of a Campo del Cielo meteorite is 92.7% iron, 6.15% nickel, 0.42% cobalt, 0.37% carbon and 0.28% phosphorus. Proof Quality 99.99% Pure Silver. Coloured 1 oz Fine Proof Silver with a worlwide mintage of 5,500. Comes with an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Artist: Alexandra Lefort (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse). The reverse includes a guaranteed authentic meteorite fragment! Sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite field. Designed by Alexandra Lefort, your coin is a re-interpretation of The Royal Astronomical Society of Canadas sesquicentennial logo in a scientifically accurate, photorealism art style. The original logo features stars that allude to Canadian contributions to stellar spectroscopy and photometry, and a globular cluster that honours the scientific work of Helen Sawyer Hogg and Canadas cooperative partnerships; both are colourfully re-imagined here as the Eagle Nebulaspecifically the pillars of interstellar gas and dust known as the Pillars of Creation, where the formation of new stars is a symbolic representation of the RASCs beginnings (and by extension, its anniversary). A fixture in RASC public outreach efforts, the Moon was chosen to represent the lunar calendars of the First Nations peoples, and the navigational astronomy that guided many European discoverers during Canadas early history. Beneath it, the Andromeda galaxythe nearest major galaxy to our ownis a symbolic ode to Canadian contributions to cosmology. Blazing as it burns through Earths upper atmosphere, the depiction of a meteor is topped by a genuine iron meteorite fragment sourced from the Campo del Cielo meteorite fields, where the impact craters date back an estimated 4,500 years. Both the meteorite and the view of the Manicouagan crater in Quebec are a nod to the RASCs longstanding interest in the study of planet geology, meteor dynamics and impact cratering, and to the excellence of Canadian research in these fields. Always fascinating, the space-weather phenomenon of the aurora borealis adds a True North flourish that a design that encapsulates 150 years of exploring the cosmos. The reverse also includes the word CANADA, the double commemorative dates 18682018, and the face value 20 DOLLARS. The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded standard case with a graphic beauty box. The item “150th Anniversary of the RAS of Canada 2018 $20 1oz Silver Proof Meteorite Coin” is in sale since Tuesday, September 18, 2018. This item is in the category “Coins\Coins\World\Canada”. The seller is “minted-uk” and is located in Essex. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Modified Item: No
- Country/Region of Manufacture: Canada
- Year of Issue: 2018
- Country: Canada
