Design emulates the famed 17th century astrolabe, long attributed to Champlain.

In 1610, having mapped, explored, and established settlements in what is now eastern Canada and Quebec, Samuel de Champlain tasked his young interpreter and pathfinder, Étienne Brûlé, with exploring the land west of the Island of Montréal—the limit at that time of Champlain’s own explorations. Brûlé was to learn the language and culture of the people there, and establish positive relations with them. When Champlain reconnected with Brûlé a year later, he was shocked at his young charge’s transformation: Brûlé had done exactly as his leader had commanded. He dressed, lived, and spoke in the fashion of the Hurons and had begun blazing trails throughout the region southwest of Georgian Bay.

In 1615, Champlain followed the path laid by his young envoy, travelling up the Ottawa River to the Mattawa, and along tertiary waterways to Lake Nipissing. From there, Champlain travelled via the French River to Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. He made landfall near what is today Penetanguishene, where he set up the home base from which he explored Huronia.

A thoughtful introduction to collecting for history buffs, fans of geography, and Canadian heritage enthusiasts! Order yours today!

Special features:
•   The Royal Canadian Mint commemorates the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s momentous journey to Huronia with a stunning coin crafted in 99.99% pure silver.
•   Celebrate an important moment in the exploration of the land that would one day become Canada.
•  Own an original work of art depicting an antique artefact, the astrolabe, and highlighting the discoveries and adventures of famed explorer Samuel de Champlain.
•  Your coin is GST/HST exempt.

About the Design:
Designed by Canadian artist Laurie McGaw, your coin is uniquely engraved to emulate the famed 17th century astrolabe—long attributed to Champlain—found in Cobden, Ontario. Against this navigational tool is set a full-body portrait of Samuel de Champlain. Through the spaces between the astrolabe’s latitude and longitude crosshairs, we are presented with engravings of scenes from Champlain’s journeys in Huronia, including an image of a tall sailing ship and a scene in which Huron guides assist Champlain on portage.

Did you know…
•   The Huron people called themselves the Wendat (or Wyandot). An agrarian culture that cultivated maize, squash, and beans, they spoke Wendat, an Iroquoian language. In the early 1600s, the Wendatoccupied the region southwest of Georgian Bay, on the peninsula between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. They called this land Wendake, but it became known to European explorers and fur traders as Huronia.
•  Étienne Brûlé was the first European to have set foot on the shores of Lakes Huron, Superior, Erie, and Ontario. Though Champlain is the first to have documented the “discovery” of Lake Huron, Brûlé had been there first.
•  One of the symbols most associated with Champlain today is the mariner’s astrolabe. This seventeenth-century navigational instrument helped cartographers to determine their latitude and allowed them to produce accurate maps. One such astrolabe, found in 1867 on an old portage route near what is now Cobden, Ontario, was long thought to have belonged to the famed explorer himself. He was presumed to have lost it during his first journey up the Ottawa River in 1613. Experts today dispute this theory, suggesting that the astrolabe is more likely to have been cached by missionaries who followed this route on a regular basis in later decades. While we will never know whether or not the famous astrolabe ever belonged to Champlain, we can be certain that he carried similar ones during his travels, including to Huronia in 1615.
•  Champlain’s most notable achievement from this journey was his detailed account of the culture of the Huron and Algonquin peoples and his cartography and description of the region now known as Ontario. The lengthy stay that allowed these observations was partly unplanned. In October 1615, Champlain and his allies engaged in battle with the Onondaga, but were unsuccessful. The explorer was injured in the battle and spent the winter of 1615-1616 in Huronia. While he regained his strength for the trip back to Quebec, he learned about the people and geography of the region, recording his discoveries for future publication. Although this was Champlain’s last journey to what is now Ontario, these records of his encounters with the first peoples of Huronia remain artefacts of lasting cultural importance.


Order your coin today!

Customer bought those items with: