Royal Canadian Mint

30 dollars

62,67 g

54 mm

Silver 999,9°

5000 pcs.

Proof finish

Joel Kimmel

Royal Canadian Mint

The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. This rare 2-ounce fine silver coin is timeless, both in the subject it depicts as well as its engraved design. Painstakingly rendered with great attention to historical accuracy and detail, the reverse presents a dynamic portrait of a 1914-era steam train in motion across the Canadian landscape. A long cloud of steam billows up from the locomotive’s smokestack and hangs in the air over the wooden passenger cars, conveying the speed at which the train is travelling to reach its destination. The unique vantage point from the shoreline, just below Saskatoon’s Grand Trunk Bridge, also adds a sense of grandeur to a classic scene while recapturing the excitement and awe of a bygone era.

It was the golden era of railways in Canada and an impressive engineering feat in its day: a century ago, eastern Canada was linked by rail to the Pacific thanks to the completion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, as meticulously depicted on the reverse. More than a transcontinental transportation system, this railway opened up vast areas of central and western Canada to settlement and ultimately helped shape Canada as it is known today; this coin is both a commemoration of this milestone’s centennial, and a proud testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of Royal Canadian Mint engravers.