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Dramatic and EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE, a traditional Native American Inuit whale hunt as seen on the Canadian Arctic Expedition is depicted on this handsome pure silver proof!

The Royal Canadian Mint is releasing a multi-coin program to commemorate the centennial of the landmark Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913-1916. The Canadian Arctic Expedition was a landmark event in the exploration of the uncharted polar regions, helping to map the extent of Canada’s Arctic territory, discover hitherto unknown islands, and uncover important research about the people, flora, fauna, and geology of the region. The year 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the Expedition, whose achievements are celebrated with this low mintage, pure silver proof!
This coin looks at the Arctic expedition from the Native AmericanInuit perspective. Long before this expedition, visual arts and storytelling had been used in Inuit communities to pass down knowledge from one generation to the other, and it’s a tradition that continues today – particularly in the artistic community of Cape Dorset.

An Original Work of Art
The obverse image, by renowned Inuit artist Tim Pitsiulak, is a beautifully detailed design that combines animal and human imagery. A traditional whaling boat and three kayaks wrap around the image along the rim to depict a traditional bowhead whale hunt. Two beluga whales swim alongside a bowhead whale – animals that have long been a source of inspiration to the artist. The bowhead is adorned with several elements drawn from the Inuit culture. To honor the Tuniit people who first crossed the Bering Strait from Siberia, Dorset ivory masks adorn the bowhead’s lower jaw and its back. A Thule ivory comb lies across the top of the whale’s head, representing the Inuit expansion across Canada. The pattern on the whale’s side mimics the walls of an igloo, while the amauti design that graces the whale’s tale symbolizes the clothing worn by Inuit women.

Key Points
• The design comes from Inuit artist Tim Pitsiulak, of Kinngait (Cape Dorset), Nunavut. Tim Pitsiulak is also the nephew of Kenojuak Ashevak, who was arguably the most famous Inuit artist in the world.

• This limited mintage coin is certified 99.99% pure silver.

• Five different coin finishes give added depth and luster to this beautifully detailed coin.

• Tim Pitsiulak’s initials appear on the coin in Inuktitut.

The Canadian Arctic Expedition
The Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1913–1916 was a scientific expedition inside the Arctic Circle organized and led by Vilhjalmur Stefansson. The expedition was originally to be sponsored by the National Geographic Society of the United States and the American Museum of Natural History. However, Canada took over the sponsorship because of the potential for discovery of new land and because Stefansson, who though born in Canada was now an American, re-established his Canadian citizenship. The Canadian Arctic Expedition was divided into a Northern Party (led by Stefansson), and a Southern Party led by Rudolph M. Anderson.

The objective of the Northern Party was to explore for new land north and west of the known land of the Canadian Arctic. At this time the possible existence of large, undiscovered land masses, comparable to the Canadian Arctic islands or even a small continent, was (correctly) thought scientifically plausible. The approach of the Northern Party, besides searching for new land, was a program of through-ice depth soundings to map the edge of the continental shelf. Meteorological, magnetic, and marine biological investigations were also planned.

The objective of the Southern party was scientific documentation of the geography, geology, resources, wildlife, and people of the Mackenzie River delta and adjacent regions of Canada between Cape Parry and the Kent Peninsula, for about 100 mi (160 km) inland, and southern and eastern Victoria Island. Copper deposits and trade routes were of particular interest.

1913 was a particularly bad year for Arctic navigation. All of the expedition ships were frozen in before they could reach their initial destination of Herschel Island. The principal ship of the expedition, the Karluk, was carried off and eventually crushed by the ice, leading to loss of eleven lives before a famous rescue. Most of the Southern Party had traveled in other ships of the expedition, and Stefansson left the Karluk with a party of five before the ship was carried off. Stefansson promptly purchased a small schooner, the North Star, reconstituted the Northern Party with local hires and resumed exploring. Only one of the fourteen Karluk survivors rejoined the expedition.

The expedition purchased another ship, the Polar Bear, in 1915. The Southern Party remained in the North through the summer of 1916, exploring and mapping as far east as Bathurst Inlet. Some members of the Northern Party continued exploring through 1918. The expedition discovered land previously unknown even to the Inuit (including Brock, Mackenzie King, Borden, Meighen, and Lougheed Islands), produced valuable data, and launched the careers of several explorers and scientists. The controversies it engendered persisted for decades.

Technology Note - Purity
The Royal Canadian Mint refines the purest silver in the world. The RCM is also the only mint in the world to issue commemorative coins in a .9999 fineness. This silver proof coin is 99.99% pure!

Please see paragraph above for description of this highly symbolic, Native American design!

Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in profile facing right. This portrait, the fourth effigy of the queen to appear on Canadian coinage, was executed by the artist Susanna Blunt. The legend ELIZABETH II D. G. REGINA ("Elizabeth II, Queen by the Grace of God") also appears. The date and denomination are also indicated.

Packaging

The coin is encapsulated inside a burgundy leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and protected by a black outer sleeve. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.