Questions pop up from time to time about this coin, so I thought I would present its story to create a potential source for answers...The $20 2009 Jacques Cartier 475th Anniversary of Arrival (in Gaspe) coin was struck to commemorate the anniversary pf French explorer Jacques Cartier's first expedition to Canada (1534). The piece is an example of a Royal Canadian Mint "contract coin" -- the
RCM struck the coin for a private company - Monnaie Collection Royale (MCR). The Mint delivered all of the mintage to MCR for it to manage its sale and distribution. The coin was not sold directly by the Mint, and was initially a MCR exclusive (though later available from other dealers). The Issue Price/Original Selling Price of the coin was $275.00 CAD.
Cartier is one of Canada's most well-known explorers, along with John Cabot, Samuel de Champlain, David Thompson and Alexander Mackenzie - all of whom have been celebrated on at least one Canadian coin.
From the Government of Canada News Archive web site:
"What our history books teach us of Cartier's first expedition in 1534 has become the stuff of legend: a commission by the King of France to search for gold in the New World and find a passage to Asia; a crew of 61 men setting sail on two boats; an Atlantic crossing, from St. Malo to Cape Bonavista, in just 20 days, followed by the exploration of the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador, of the Magdalen Islands, Prince Edward Island and Chaleur Bay; cordial relations with the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, in spite of protests by Chief Donnacona when Cartier erected a cross at Pointe de Penouille, claiming the territory in the name of King Francis I, and subsequently returned to France with two of Donnacona's sons, Domagaya and Taignoagny."
As the 475th anniversay of Jacques Cartier's first expedition to Canada drew near. the Mint was approached about producing a limited edition commemorative coin - a non-circulating legal tender (NCLT) coin - in honor of Cartier under private commission. The Mint agreed to the proposal, and struck the coins for release during the 2009 anniversary year.
The obverse of the coin features the Susanna Blunt portrait of Queen Elizabeth II (right-facing). The reverse, by John Mardon, presents Cartier's ship under full sail from a slightly elevated view. Per the coin's Certificate of Authenticity, the "reverse design features a 16th-century Breton ship inspired by the
Grande Hermine, Jacques Cartier's famous admiral ship that has come to symbolize his historic voyages."
2009 Jacques Cartier 475th Anniversary of Arrival in Canada - $20 Silver Coin
(Image Credit: Royal Canadian Mint Media Images.)Mardon designed over 30 coins for the Royal Canadian Mint between 1988 and 2015, including one of my favorite Silver Dollars (SDs) - the 1989 SD marking the bicentennial of Sir Alexander Mackenzie's expedition of exploration in northwest Canada that travelled as far as the Arctic Ocean. (He went on a second expedition in 1793 that took him to the Pacific Ocean.)
The coin was struck as a Proof-only issue, with a maximum planned mintage of 1,534 (corresponding to the anniversary year it commemorated); per the Mint's
2009 Annual Report, the actual mintage was 1,516. It was struck on a 0.9999 fine silver planchet that has a diameter of 38 millimeters and a weight of 31.39 grams. The coin has a serrated/reeded edge and a denomination of $20.00.
My coin, per its Certificate of Authenticity - is 1290 of 1534. Of course, its actual strike order is unknown.
There was a time, circa 2010-11, that the coin's market value exceeded $300 CAD, but like most other NCLT coins of Canada, the coin's market price has fallen noticeably and can often be purchased for ~$200 CAD or less.
For other stories about commemorative coins and medals, including other pieces from Canada, see:
Commems Collection..
Posted 12/30/2023 8:40 pm
