Gold investment coin Gold Rush in the Klondike - Gold Journey 1 Oz 2023 (.99999)

Klondike Gold Rush: Passage for Gold 2023 - .99999

A premium gold investment coin issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2023, weighing 1 Oz in the absolute highest purity of 99.999% gold, released as part of the Klondike Gold Rush series launched to mark the 125th anniversary of the first discovery of gold. The third coin in the series showcases the journey of gold through the construction of the railroad and the use of the flume for a more efficient way to mine gold.

The reverse of the gold investment coin depicts the steam locomotive of the White Pass & Yukon Route Narrow Gauge Railway, whose construction, completed in 1900, represented an engineering pinnacle in overcoming the extreme obstacles of the mountainous terrain. The rail line connecting Skagway, Alaska, and Whitehorse, Yukon, allowed for the transport of passengers, supplies, and the gold that was found. It replaced the previously used and very dangerous foot trails leading over the Chilkoot Pass on the iconic "golden stairs" or over the White Pass Trail into the interior lakes to the Yukon River and on to the goldfields.
The left side of the coin field depicts an advanced method of gold mining. Long culverts made of wood were placed at a slight incline into the flowing streams to allow water to flush the piled tailings containing gold flakes and nuggets. The flooding method allowed for the processing of many times more scrapings from the riverbeds using the labour of fewer men. Prospectors also often accessed the entire stream diversion to gain access to the gold-bearing sediments at the bottom of the channels. Water draining from the flume falls on a small circle containing Canada's national symbol, the maple leaf. The coin's security features include fine radial lines on the background and a security mark in the form of a small maple leaf. The microscopic laser mark contains the year of issue "23", which can be seen under a magnifying glass. Included are the designer's initials "SH", the purity indication "99999" and the year of issue "2023". The description of the coin includes the inscriptions "CANADA", "FINE GOLD" and "1 OZ OR PUR".
During the brief Klondike gold rush, the promise of gold lured more than 30,000 fortune seekers to northern Canada and forever changed the country, 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 and his Indian-born wife Shaaw Tlàa (Kate Carmack) and brothers-in-law Keish (Skookum Jim Mason) and Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie) 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 a portrait of Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt, complete with the years of the monarch's reign "1952 .... 2022". The four pearls embedded in the year symbolizes the 4 likenesses of the Queen that have graced Canadian coins. The description of the coin states "ELIZABETH II", "D.G.REGINA" and the face value "200 DOLLARS".

The coin is encased in a protective plastic card which also serves as a certificate of authenticity.

This product is part of the following product sets: