- Country:Canada
- Collection:Gold Commemorative $200
- Metal:Gold
- Year:2013
- Denomination:$200
- Finish:Complete
- Weight (oz):0.5
- Purity:0.9999
- Mintage:1474
- Product type:Coin
The second of six coins in our exciting Great Explorers series!
Jacques Cartier was born in Saint-Malo, France, in 1491, at a time when the humanist ideals of the Italian Renaissance were beginning to spread throughout Europe. In the second decade of the sixteenth century, Francis I (Fran ois IER) ascended to the throne of France. He was a great patron of arts,letters and discovery and, inspired by humanist influences but also by his desire to enrich France's wealth and power, Francis I sought to find a northwest passage to the riches of the Orient. Having heard that areas of North America were abundant with gold and gems, he enlisted the services of Jacques Cartier to find them and locate a passage to Asia.
Although Cartier was not the first European to visit eastern Canada, his discovery and exploration of the St. Lawrence laid the groundwork for centuries of trade and settlement to follow. He is counted among the great explorers of his era and it is from his map design and other records that Europeans gained some oftheir earliest understanding of the landscape of North America and the customs of its aboriginal residents.
If you already own the Vikings coin, the first in the GreatExplorers series, then you must purchse this coin!
Special features:
¥ Your coin is the second coin in the Royal Canadian Mint's six part seriesfeaturing the Great Explorers of Canada that highlights the famous explorer Jacques Cartier, his full-length portrait rendered in exceptional detail.
¥ A beautiful and memorable design depicts Cartier at a key moment in his exploration of Canada, while also highlighting the fundamental role and importanceof Canada's Aboriginal peoples in the country's history and origins.
¥ Your coin is 99.99% pure gold and GST/HST exempt.
¥ Limited mintage of only 2,000 worldwide.
Design:
Your coin was designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw and depicts a full-length three-quarter profile portrait of explorer Jacques Cartier, flanked by French soldiers and an aboriginal guide, as he stands atop a riverbank, surveying this new land of "Canada." Your coin is engraved with the word "CANADA," the year "2013," and the face value of "200 DOLLARS."
