671) Viking Ships: Viking Voyage: Norse Figureheads: Dragon Sail: The Saga of Leif Ericson's voyage from Greenland to Vinland: Second $20 Silver Coin in the 3 Coin Series issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in February 2018:
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The Royal Canadian Mint has issued the second coin in the three coin series titled "Viking Ships", which re-visits the long and historic ties of Viking exploration in North America, more than 1,000 years ago, when the naval expertise of the Norse sea-farers left an imprint on history wherever their ships came ashore, including Canada's East Coast.
The Reverse of the Second $20 Silver Coin in the three-Coin Series shows the Dragon Sail Ship of Leif Ericson against the background of a dragon sculpture. This Coin is titled "Viking Voyage"
For centuries, Icelandic sagas spoke of Viking expeditions to new shore-lines, that matched Canada's North Atlantic sea-coast. The sagas chronicled Leif Ericson's exploration of "Helluland" (meaning "Land of the Stone Slabs") which roughly relates to Baffin Island and the Northern tip of Labrador and of a timber-rich land called "Markland", ("Forest land" in Labrador). The sagas also mention the resource-rich territories of "Vinland" in which the 11th Century Viking explorers established a Norse settlement on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula.
Today, L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is recognised as the oldest European settlement in the New World and the first authenticated Viking settlement in North America, much before Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of America.
The Reverse of the $20 Silver Coin has been inspired by the Saga of Leif Ericson's voyage from Greenland to Vinland.
In the background, the rugged North Atlantic coast of present-day Canada rises up from the sea and resembles some of the new shorelines discovered during Leif Erikson's expedition around 1000 AD.
In the foreground, a fearsome Norse dragon ship sails into view. The sea-level perspective places a special emphasis on the square mast and hghly intricate wood-working that made a Viking ship both a technical and artistic marvel during its time.
Ornate carvings of gripping beasts lead up to the dragon figurehead on the prow, which was intended to ward off evil spirits while adding to the ship's imposing appearance.
A similar Norse art-inspired pattern of inter-laced serpents is replicated on the selectively coloured frame, which surrounds the artistic interpretation of an early chapter in Canada's history.
The Obverse of the $20 Silver Coin features Queen Elizabeth II's effigy facing right. The peripheral inscriptions are - "ELIZABETH II. CANADA. D.G.REGINA. 20 DOLLARS".
The specifications of the coin are:
Denomination: $20; Metallic Composition: .999 Silver; Weight: 31.3 grams or One Ounce; Diameter/Size: 38.0 mm; Coin Quality: Proof, with Applied Colour; Mintage: 6,000 pieces; Edge: Serrated; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Serialised; Designers: Jean-Pierre Vallee (Reverse), Susanna Blunt (Obverse); Year of issue: 2018; Mint: Royal Canadian Mint.
Remarks: The coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint branded maroon clamshell with a black beauty box, accompanied with a COA.
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