Description
Metal Silver
Purity 0.999 (99.9%)
Weight 1 Troy Ounce (31,1 g)
Diameter 38.6 mm
Attributes Proof, Colorized
Mintage 750
Packaging Presentation Box and Numbered CoA
At about a ¼ past 11 o’clock we cross’d the Antarctic Circle…and are undoubtedly the first and only Ship that ever cross’d that line.
– Captain James Cook, 17 January 1773
On January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook and his crew aboard his flagship, HMS Resolution made the first recorded crossing of the Antarctic circle, thus becoming the first Europeans to lay eyes on the unspoiled wonders of that pristine icy wilderness. Cook came within about 75 miles (120 km) of the Antarctic coast before retreating in the face of field ice.
In 1775, Cook predicted the existence of a polar continent south of Australia, calling it “probable,” and in another copy of his journal he wrote: “[I] firmly believe it and it’s more than probable that we have seen a part of it”. Captain James Cook can rightfully be considered the first in a long line of Antarctic explorers, including Amundsen, Byrd, Hillary, Mawson, Scott, and Shackleton.
On this stunning proof finish silver dollar, Cook’s impressive flagship HMS Resolution is depicted under full sail, surrounded by an ultra-realistic icy seascape in stunning relief, minted on one full troy ounce of pure silver. Cutting edge digital minting techniques enhance the frozen beauty of the Antarctic environment with depth of color, inspiring the sense of wonder and awe that Cook and his crew must have felt.
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