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Unlike the topsail schooner (Coin 3), the type of vessel depicted on this fourth 99.99% pure gold Tall Ships coin doesn’t carry square topsails; instead, a three-masted (or tern) schooner’s sails are fitted in a fore-and-aft line that enables the ship to have a better windward performance.  Between 1880 and 1920, hundreds of tern schooners were launched from shipyards throughout Atlantic Canada. Built with a high carrying capacity and smaller crew requirements, the terns supplanted the square-rigged ships as the backbone of the coastal trade by the end of the 19th century, when these were the wind-powered equivalent to the freight trucks of today.

Coin #4 – Add this three-master to your fleet. Order today!

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Fourth coin in the series. The 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.
• Back to Canada’s age of sail. Each instalment showcases a different type of tall ship or sail plan, beginning with the brigantine (2022) and continuing with the full-rigged ship (2023), the topsail schooner (2024), and now the three-masted (tern) schooner.
• Incredible attention to detail. From the rigging details to the patent log towed astern, this historically accurate portrait captures the elegance of the three-masted schooner, a cargo vessel commonly used for coastal trade in the late 19th century and early 20th

• A maritime legacy. Every Tall Ships coin is an expertly engraved and exquisitely detailed portrait of Canada’s past. These are the wooden ships that shaped the course of Canada’s history, and serve as a testament to a proud seafaring and shipbuilding legacy.
• Pure gold portrait. Your low-mintage (800) coin is crafted from 99.99% pure gold, with a mirror-like finish that lights up the engraved art on the coin’s reverse.
• A popular theme. A prestigious addition to any collection, especially a gold, history or nautical-themed one.
• Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins.
• No GST/HST

DESIGN

The reverse design by Canadian marine artist John M. Horton features a starboard quarter view of a three-masted (tern) schooner under full sail on a close reach in a smart breeze, with the starboard side lifting as the ship rolls to port. A full cargo of lumber is stowed on the deck of this coastal freighter, while a patent log is towed astern to measure speed and distance run. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III by Canadian artist Steven Rosati.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Royal Canadian Navy had only 13 vessels in service at the outbreak of the Second World War, including one sailing vessel: HMCS Venture, a tern schooner that was commissioned as a training ship in 1937. Designed by Bluenose architect W. J. Roué, Venture survived the war but was lost in an explosion in 1951.

PACKAGING

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

I chose the starboard quarter view of the three-masted tern schooner because it shows the power of the vessel driving through a rough sea under a full press of canvas. These vessels were true workhorses, either transporting lumber coastwise, between ports, or across the Atlantic Ocean.   On long hauls, they would stream a patent log to measure speed and distance run, so a dead reckoning position could be calculated. I have always enjoyed painting working vessels through the ages, and the hard-working terns are another fine example of how world trade was conducted. – John Horton, Artist