2008 Canadian $250 Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games: Towards Confederation Silver Kilo Coin

2008 Canadian $250 Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games: Towards Confederation Silver Kilo Coin

The design flows from east to west beginning in 1534 symbolized by a portrait of Jacques Cartier and the cross claiming the land for France. Just below the portrait is an astrolabe representing Samuel de Champlain and his explorations. A rendition of the tall ship represents the British influence and the underlying French-English current that continues to this day. This leads the eye to the centre of the design which features Lower Fort Garry and the Red River Cart which was a means of transportation over land and on water.

We see the Metis flag featuring the infinity symbol representing the coming together of the two distinct cultures: European and the indigenous North American. To the lower left to the design are the Voyageurs travelling by canoe over the rapids which represents the development of the fur trade in Canada.

Another major Canadian industry is represented by the salmon swimming upstream. Above the Voyageur are images of David Thompson and Alexander Mackenzie representing the exploration and mapping of Canada to the Pacific Coast. Beside Mackenzie is an image of Fort Langley representing the West coast and trading posts. Above Mackenzie is a logging theme representing a significant industry of the time which utilize the river system for transportation.

The design comes full circle with the image Province House in Prince Edward Island in 1867 where the Fathers of Confederation met.

Specifications:

Face Value: $250
Mintage: 2,500
Composition: 99.99% Silver
Weight (g): 1000
Diameter (mm): 101.6
Finish: Proof