2022 Canada $200 Tall Ships: Brigantine Pure Gold (No Tax)

2022 Canada $200 Tall Ships: Brigantine Pure Gold (No Tax)

The start of a new $200 pure gold series of coins from the Royal Canadian Mint! The Tall Ships series coins is a collectible ode to Canada's Golden Age of Sail. Each instalment brings a different type of tall ship to the fore, beginning with the brigantine highlighted on this coin. The backbone of Canada's marine industry in the 19th century, the brigantine was the versatile workhorse that plied the coastal trade routes and sailed on the high seas. This tall ship is distinguished by a fully square-rigged foremast and a fore-and-aft mainsail - a combination that made it easier to manoeuvre in rivers and along our eastern coastline, where the busy shipyards, ports and harbours connected us to the world.

The coin's reverse design by Canadian artist Bonnie Ross features a unique perspective that captures the majesty of the brigantine, a two-masted tall ship that played an important role in Canadian history. Backed by clouds that sit low on the horizon, two brigantines are shown on the open sea, where the wind fills their canvas sails. The reverse includes the word "CANADA", a face value of "200 DOLLARS", and the year "2022". The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt.

Originally, "brig" was short for "brigantine" but it eventually came to signify a vessel with a different type of rigging than the brigantine. The brig is the larger of the two; it had two square-rigged masts that gave it greater sailing power for ocean passages but required a bigger crew.

One of the most famous Nova Scotia-built brigantines is the legendary ghost ship Mary Celeste, which was originally launched as the Amazon in 1861 (the tall ship was previously featured on one of our coins). Another Canadian brigantine, the Dei Gratia, came upon an abandoned Mary Celeste near the Azores in 1872, and the fate of the ship's missing crew remains an unsolved mystery.

Specifications:
Item Number: 203980
Mintage: 1,200
Composition: 99.99% pure gold
Weight*: 15.43 g
Diameter: 29 mm
Face Value: $200
Finish: Proof
Edge: Serrated
Artist: Bonnie Ross

Special Features:

• Launching in 2022, the Royal Canadian Mint's annual Tall Ships series of pure gold coins celebrates the legendary vessels that drew international acclaim for Canada's shipyards and contributed to our rich maritime heritage.
• Each instalment showcases a different type of tall ship, beginning with the brigantine on the 2022 coin.
• Impeccable craftmanship! Every Tall Ships coin is an expertly engraved and exquisitely detailed portrait of Canada's past. These are the wooden ships that carried passengers and/or cargo to Canadian destinations and to the port cities of the world, where they served as a testament to this nation's shipbuilding and seafaring abilities.
• The low mintage (1,200) coin is crafted from ½ oz. of 99.99% pure gold, with a mirror-like finish that lights up the maritime art engraved on its reverse.
• A popular theme! Previous Tall Ships coins sold out quickly, including 2016's four-part Tall Ships Legacy series. This 2022-dated coin is sure to be a coveted piece and a prestigious addition to any collection, especially a gold-, history- or nautical-themed one.

Packaging:
The coin comes encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.