2018 240TH ANNIVERSARY OF CAPTAIN COOK AT NOOTKA SOUND FINE SILVER PROOF SET

Canada's history is rife with tales of explorers, and the seafaring Captain James Cook (1728-1779) is one of the most storied of all. 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. This fine silver proof dollar commemorates the 240th anniversary of Cook’s arrival at the summer home of the Nuu-chah-nulth people, at Nootka Sound, which drew more explorers and traders to Canada’s western shores.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

SRP: $234.95
Item: 164786
UPC: 6-23932-08887-0
Mintage: 15,000
Finish: Proof
Packaging: Genuine leather book-style packaging

SPECIAL FEATURES

• ABSOLUTELY STUNNING IN SELECTIVE GOLD PLATING! Your proof coin is the highest quality possible. Finished with world-class frosting, the image is struck against a brilliant field as many as three times to achieve a crisp impression with outstanding detail. Special dies are hand polished and frequently replaced to maintain absolute perfection, while selective gold plating enhances the coin’s focal point, by adding definition to the detailed frosting.
• Beautifully presented in a genuine leather book-style that offers an elegant way to proudly showcase these coins.
• TRADITION ROOTED IN HISTORY: Issued annually by the Royal Canadian Mint, the commemorative proof set is a collector’s favourite and one of our most sought-after sets.
• New lower mintage has been limited to 15,000 sets worldwide!

DESIGN

Maritime artist John Horton presents an artistic rendering of Captain James Cook’s arrival at Nootka Sound in April 1778. Towering mountains and the timbered headland of Bligh Island provide a stunning backdrop to this 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.