2046) The Klondike Gold Rush, Canada: 125th Anniversary Commemoration (1896-2021): i) A set of Seven Commemorative Circulation Coins issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in two versions of the Klondike‑themed $1 coin, and five classic circulation pieces: $2, $1, 25‑cent, 10‑cent and 5‑cent coins; ii) A $200 Commemorative Collector Gold Bullion Coin: Year of Coins issue: 2021:
The Klondike Gold Rush was a migration by an estimated 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of Yukon, in north-western Canada, between 1896 and 1899.
Tens of thousands joined the Klondike Gold Rush. Thirty thousand made it to Dawson City. Only a few found gold.
The gold lay in the earth and the rivers of what became Yukon, but once discovered, it changed the lives of all those it touched. This is not a story about fame and fortune, but a tale of unbelievable luck, hope, despair, change, and resilience.
Examining the sweeping and lasting changes resulting from the Klondike Gold Rush is crucial to understanding its significance.
The Reverses of two Variants of the $1 (One Dollar) Circulation Commemorative Coins issued in the release
The Discovery of Gold:
125 years ago, on 16.08.1896, Keish (“Skookum Jim” Mason), his nephew Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie), his sister Shaaw Tláa (Kate Carmack) – all of whom were of Lingít and Tagish descent – and Shaaw Tláa's American husband George Carmack discovered gold in Gàh Dek (Rabbit Creek/Bonanza Creek). Their discovery started what some now call “The Last Great Gold Rush.”
The story goes that they were taking a break next to Rabbit Creek (Bonanza Creek), when Keish saw a glimmer of gold through the water. He shared his discovery with the group and they quickly staked their claims.
The news of gold spread fast to other mining camps in the Yukon River valley. When news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of prospectors. The men and women who rushed toward Yukon, were unaware they were about to embark on one of the latest gold rushes in history. Some became wealthy, but the majority went in vain.
Some of these prospectors later became known as “Klondike Kings”, claiming much of the gold before knowledge of the discovery reached the south.
The Klondike Gold Rush has been immortalized in films, literature, and photographs.
The Regulations:
To reach the gold fields, most prospectors took the route through the ports of Dyea and Skagway, in Southeast Alaska.
Here, the "Klondikers" could follow either the Chilkoot or the White Pass trails to the Yukon River, and sail down to the Klondike.
The Canadian authorities required each of them to bring a year's supply of food, in order to prevent starvation.
In all, the Klondikers' equipment weighed close to a ton, which most carried themselves, in stages.
Performing this task, and contending with the mountainous terrain and cold climate, meant those who persisted did not arrive until summer of 1898.
Once there, they found few opportunities, and many left disappointed.
Boom towns along the way:
To accommodate the prospectors, boom towns sprang up along the routes.
At their terminus, Dawson City was founded at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers.
From a population of 500 in 1896, the town grew to house approximately 30,000 people by summer 1898.
Built of wood, isolated, and unsanitary, Dawson suffered from fires, high prices, and epidemics.
Despite this, the wealthiest prospectors spent extravagantly, gambling and drinking in the saloons.
The Native Hän people, on the other hand, suffered from the rush; they were forcibly moved into a reserve to make way for the Klondikers, and many died.
The end of the Klondike Gold Rush:
Beginning in 1898, the newspapers that had encouraged so many to travel to the Klondike lost interest in it.
In the summer of 1899, gold was discovered around Nome in West Alaska, and many prospectors left the Klondike for the new goldfields, marking the end of the Klondike Rush.
The boom towns declined, and the population of Dawson City fell.
Gold mining production in the Klondike peaked in 1903 after heavier equipment was brought in.
Since then, the Klondike has been mined on and off, and today the legacy draws tourists to the region and contributes to its prosperity.
While the Klondike Gold Rush transformed Yukon's development and the Canadian economy as a whole, the flood of prospectors and adventurers also forever altered the land, uprooting and repressing the traditional ways of living of the Indigenous peoples who lived in the area for millennia prior to the arrival of settlers.
The Klondike Gold Rush is often viewed as a great frontier adventure but its legacy is more complex. This was no mere rush for riches – it was a critical moment that transformed those who lived it, and changed the nation forever.
Indigenous communities living in what became Yukon still grapple with this legacy today.
Klondike Gold Rush Coins:
The 125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush (1896-2021) is being marked on a commemorative circulation coin:
i) The First $1 (One Dollar Commemorative Circulation Coin:
The Reverse of the $1 (One Dollar) Circulation Coin commemorating the "125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Discovery", designed by Canadian artist Jori van der Linde features the artist’s rendition of the gold discovery that set off the Klondike Gold Rush.
Meticulously sculpted to make a lasting impression, its reverse depicts the 1896 discovery that triggered an influx of gold rushers to the Klondike region, forever changing the land, its people and their traditional ways of living, in a manner that continues to be felt today.
It depicts the four people credited with the discovery of gold on Rabbit Creek that started the Klondike Gold Rush in August 1896.
Under the shining sun, Keish (“Skookum” Jim Mason), Shaaw Tlàa (Kate Carmack), Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie), all of whom were of Lingít and Tagish descent, and George Carmack can be seen panning for gold at the edge of Gàh Dek (Rabbit Creek/Bonanza Creek).
A powerful symbol of cultural revitalization, the pictorial symbol for Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide) is highlighted in red and white on selectively coloured coins; it appears on the opposite side of the creek, and represents the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and their deep, abiding connection to the land.
On a hillside appears an image representing the Moosehide Gathering place, where the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation relocated when it was displaced by the influx of gold rushers.
It has become a critical symbol representing the community's experience. The word "KLONDIKE" and the dates "1896" and "2021" also accompany the design.
The Obverse of the $1 (One Dollar) Commemorative Circulation Coin features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
ii) The Second One Dollar Commemorative Circulation Coin:
Chief Isaac was the leader of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in during the Klondike Gold Rush and in the years that followed. During the early years following the Klondike Gold Rush, Chief Isaac understood that the changes brought by newcomers would have a great impact on his people’s lives and culture.
In an act of foresight, he “cached” many of the community’s traditional songs and dances, sharing them with Alaskan neighbours.
The inscriptions are - "CANADA. 1896. KLONDIKE. 2021". The initials of the designer "JV" are placed on the centre right periphery.
It is an important icon of perseverance and cultural revitalization, one that represents the inherent belonging of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in to the land on the 125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush (2021).
The Obverse of the $1 (One Dollar) Commemorative Circulation Coin features the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.
Issue highlights:
- TWO KLONDIKE-THEMED DOLLARS - This seven-piece set includes two versions of the 2021 $1, 125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush commemorative coin: a struck (engraved only) edition and a selectively coloured one.
- SEVEN COINS IN ONE SET - Five denominations of Canadian coins are represented in this set, which includes two versions of the Klondike‑themed $1 coin, and five classic circulation pieces: $2, $1, 25‑cent, 10‑cent and 5‑cent coins (one of each). A total of seven coins.
- The issue speaks to the four discoverers - the rugged landscape that awaited the 30,000 who flocked to what became Yukon; and the impact on First Nations whose traditional lifestyles were drastically altered by the arrival of the newcomers.
- A Commemorative Collector Keepsake Card is also being issued in which the coins come packaged together in a fact-filled, display-ready collector card. These uncirculated 2021 circulation coins coin quality make for a great souvenir.
Coin Rolls - 25 pieces each
A $200 (200 Dollars) Gold Commemorative Collector Coin minted in Gold:
The $200 (Two Hundred) Dollars Gold Bullion Coin in the new Klondike Gold Rush Coin Series is an exclusive 1-ounce 99.999% .pure gold Commemorative Collector Coin, featuring a large scale version of the Commemorative Circulation Coins which is limited to a mintage of 450 pieces only.
Rendered in exquisite detail by Royal Canadian Mint engravers, this coin features a micro-engraved maple leaf laser mark in the coin’s field. In the centre of the mark, visible under magnification, is the numeral “21” (denoting the coin’s year of issue)
The Assay Certificate is signed by the RCM’s Chief Assayer, the assay certificate on the back of the card certifies the authenticity and purity of the coin.
This Coin represents the highest face value ($200 CAN) of any legal tender 1oz. gold bullion coin.
A Coin Card display
31) North-west Territories, Canada: 150th Anniversary (1870-2020): A $30 (Thirty Canadian Dollars) Silver Proof Coin minted by the Royal Canadian Mint, celebrates the milestone: Year of Coin issue: 2020
32) An "Inuk" and a Quilliq", Canada: New 1/20 Ounce $10 Coins minted in Arctic Gold by the Royal Canadian Mint symbolise cultural diversity in Canada and features deeply symbolic elements that are important expressions of Inuit identity: Year of Coin issue: 2020
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Lalit Roy has commented:
ReplyDelete"Wow!! It's a wonderful article. The coins are beautiful."
Thank you so much, Lalit.
DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Great post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you, Khanna sahab.
DeleteVinod Khurana has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting information. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you, Vinodji.
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