Canada 200 Dollars Gold Coin 2016 Pierre Gaultier de La Verendrye
Great Canadian Explorers Series: Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye
Obverse: Likeness of Queen Elizabeth II with a stylized design.
Reverse: Designed by Canadian artist Glen Green, your coin features a full-length portrait of the famous French-Canadian explorer and fur trader, Pierre Gaultier De Varennes et De La Vérendrye. The explorer is depicted in a campaign uniform, complete with a trimmed tricorn hat made of beaver fur, a sword beneath his capote and a military officer's distinctive gorget at his neck. Moving along the rocky shores of Lakes of the Woods with a compass in hand, La Vérendrye uses the butt of his musket to steady an occasional step while his attention remains fixed on the horizon, in search of the fabled "great western sea." Just a few steps to his left, a First Nations guide—one of the many whose advice and assistance was essential to the expedition—holds a hunting bow as he advises La Vérendrye, while a member of this expedition stands next to a canoe on the shore. In the background looms the outline of Fort St. Charles; built by the expedition in 1732, this key trading post is made visible by its palisades, with two of its four bastions standing out among the surrounding forest. Meticulous engraving enhances this historical snapshot, adding intricate details and textures to the period clothing in a manner that transforms this depiction into a fitting tribute to a historical figure and a striking collectible piece of art.
Mintage: 1000.
Composition: 99.99% pure gold.
Finish: proof.
Weight: 15.43 g.
Diameter: 29 mm.
Edge: serrated.
Face value: 200 Canadian Dollars.
Artist: Glen Green (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse).
Manufacturer: Royal Canadian Mint.
In the early 18th century, much of this country's vast land remained relatively uncharted. Few settlers could anticipate the enormity of the terrain that lay to the west, beyond Lake Superior, in a time when stories of a "great western sea" stirred the imagination of those seeking a shorter route to the trading riches of the Far East. Inspired by First Nations accounts of a western waterway, French-Canadian soldier and fur trader Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye (1685-1749) set out to discover this mythical body of water. His journey would open up the land and waterways of present-day Manitoba, bringing La Vérendrye and his men farther into the Canadian West than any previous explorer of European descent.
From 1731 to 1743, La Vérendrye's expedition brought the era of exploration beyond the Great Lakes, reaching all the way to the eastern edges of the Rocky Mountains. Largely unheralded in his time, La Vérendrye has since become a historical figure whose perseverance and sense of adventure embodies the very spirit of the voyageur experience that shaped the history of Canada.
Own an original work of art depicting one of Canada's most renowned and compelling historical figures.
Special features:
- Beautifully crafted in 99.99% pure gold!
- Fifth coin in the continuing Great Canadian Explorers series, which commemorates the more than 400 years of exploration that have shaped the history of Canada as we know it today.
- Impeccably engraved with great attention paid to historical accuracy and details — the result is a powerful portrait of French-Canadian explorer Pierre Gaultier de Varennes et de La Vérendrye on his journey into the Canadian West.
- MULTIPLE FINISHES AND TEXTURES enhance the details that provide a more natural look and feel to La Vérendrye, the First Nations guide, and the outdoor setting as the expedition prepares to press westward on their continuing journey.
- HIGHLIGHTS THE FUNDAMENTAL ROLE OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN CANADA and throughout its history and the role that First Nations guides played in La Vérendrye's exploration of present-day Manitoba.
