2014 1oz $20 LOST SHIPS IN CANADIAN WATERS: R.M.S. EMPRESS OF IRELAND FINE SILVER COIN

A commemoration of Canada’s well-known maritime tragedies, from the vessels that were lost tothe stories that emerged from those fateful events.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:
SRP: $109.95
Item Number: 130532
UPC: 6-23932-05606-0
Composition: 99.99% fine silver
Mintage: 7,000
Weight (g): 31.39
Diameter (mm): 38
Face Value: $20
Finish: Proof
Edge Plain with edge lettering
Artist: John Horton
Packaging: Maroon clamshell with custom beauty box

SPECIAL FEATURES:

• First coin in a 3-coin series that commemorates wellknown vessels that have been lost in Canadian waters, and the stories that have emerged from the events surrounding their final fate.
• Certified 99.99% pure silver, this coin commemorates the 100th anniversary of the loss of R.M.S. Empress of Ireland.
• Stunning colour portrait, framed within the coastline of the St. Lawrence seaway, shows R.M.S. Empress of Ireland moments before her collision with the Storstad.
• Edge-lettering displays the ship’s name, as well as a bell, representing one of the recovered artifacts from he wreck.

DESIGN:
The reverse image designed by Canadian artist John Horton, selective paint is used to recreate the imminent collision of R.M.S Empress of Ireland and the Norwegian collier Storstad during the early morning hours of May 29, 1914. Rolling in from the coast (engraved in the background), the thick fog comes between the two ships in the coloured centre portion of the image field. The shadowy image of the Storstad emerges from the right side of the image, its sharp bow in line to make contact with the Empress’s starboard side. The passenger ship’s stern and funnels are partially unobstructed by the fog in this image to provide a glimpse of the liner before tragedy would send it to its final resting place on the bottom of the St. Lawrence River.