Gold Coin Gold Rush in the Klondike - 125th Anniversary 1 Oz 2021 Proof

125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush

The exclusive gold coin, issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2021 and minted in the finest 99.99% pure gold, weighing 1 Oz (31.16 g) in Proof quality, is being released to mark the 125th anniversary of the first discovery of gold and the start of the Klondike Gold Rush.

The reverse design was created by Canadian artist Jori van der Linde. She has captured in artistic form the event that started the Klondike gold rush. Under the Shining Sun depicts four gold prospectors at the banks of Bonanza Creek (Gàh Dek/Rabbit Creek). In the foreground, George Carmack leans over a panning pan, revealing the first gold nuggets. Further away from him, Keish ("Skookum" Jim Mason) and Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie) work through the same panning process. Standing by his brothers is the character Shaaw Tlàa (Kate Carmack), wife of George Carmack, with a modest shelter behind her. Incorporated into the escarpment above the other side of the creek is the symbol of the Moosehide Slide, which comes from the indigenous culture. The symbol resembles the silhouette of a moose and refers to the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in's enduring connection to their territory. Moosehide Slide is a natural "slide" that was created by a prehistoric landslide. It was an unmissable landmark at the end of the trail for incoming gold prospectors and is now an iconic landmark on the Dawson skyline.
During the brief Klondike gold rush, the promise of gold lured more than 30,000 fortune seekers to northern Canada and forever changed the land, its people and their existing way of life. The largest-ever migration of people in search of gold was triggered by an event on August 16, 1896. Californian George Carmack, his Indian wife and her brothers discovered a gold deposit in Rabbit Creek, later renamed Bonanza Creek. News of the famous find caused an immediate rush of prospectors. The following year, people from all over the world traveled to the desolate Klondike region by the thousands. The ensuing boom spurred the Yukon's entry into Confederation and made Canada one of the world's leading gold producers. The Klondike gold rush also had a devastating impact on local aboriginal communities. Gold prospectors not only displaced these communities, but also instituted policies that fundamentally undermined their traditions. Indigenous peoples are still struggling with this legacy today. The gold rush is often seen as a great adventure, but its consequences are more complex. It wasn't just a pursuit of wealth. It was a critical moment in Canadian history that irreversibly affected the entire nation.

The obverse bears the traditional portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Susanne Blunt with the inscriptions "ELIZABETH II", "CANADA", "D.G.REGINA" and the artist's initials "SB".

The coin comes in a deluxe gift box along with a numbered certificate of authenticity in a very limited edition of only 450 pieces for the entire world!