1 oz. Pure Silver Gold-Plated Coin - Locomotives Across Canada

OUR LOCOMOTIVE-THEMED COINS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER! Order today!

The iconic 4-4-0 "American" locomotive was the all-purpose engine of choice between 1850 and 1890, and the first type built in Canada. The height of its popularity coincided with Confederation—a time when Canadian union hinged on the promise of a railway link.

• Even the finest details shine in this meticulous design, thanks to the precision engraving, and the use of multiple finishes that add subtle contrasts.
• SELECTIVE GOLD PLATING! The selective application of gold plating shines the spotlight on the locomotive, while the gold-plated effigy ensures an elegance that makes this a truly exceptional keepsake.
• LIMITED MINTAGE: Only 7,500 coins will be made available worldwide. Hurry and order yours today before they are all gone!
• ONE-OUNCE 99.99% PURE SILVER COIN! Your coin is GST/HST exempt!

Designed by Canadian artist David A. Oram, your coin transports you to Toronto, Ontario, in the year of Confederation: 1867. The selective application of gold plating immediately draws the eye to the 4-4-0 locomotive of the Great Western Railway (GWR) in the foreground. The left-side three-quarter view allows for a thorough examination of the steam engine's defining characteristics—from the balloon smoke stack and large driving wheels to the cattle guard—all rendered in outstanding detail. In the background, the arched train shed of GWR's Yonge Street passenger station adds an architectural point of interest, while the horse-drawn carriage waiting trackside completes this meticulously engraved snapshot of a bygone era.

Named for its wheel configuration of four leading (front) wheels and four driving ones, the iconic 4-4-0 "American" type of locomotive looms large in Canada's railway history as the quintessential all-purpose locomotive of its time. Its speed, performance and ease of repair made it a practical choice for Canada's rapidly expanding railroad networks, where its wheelbase proved adept at handling varying rail grades and curvatures. Well suited to freight and passenger service, the 4-4-0 is remembered today as the most common locomotive in service between 1850 and 1890, and the first type ever built in Canada.

The height of the 4-4-0's popularity coincided with Confederation—a time when Canadian union hinged on the promise of a railway link, which was fulfilled in the east with the completion of the Intercolonial Railway in 1872. By then, the 4-4-0 represented the overwhelming majority of the steam locomotives in service, including those that helped open the continent to new settlement in the west. Design adjustments and a larger boiler size resulted in more powerful 4-4-0 engines; but tasked with increasingly heavier loads, the 4-4-0's limited firing capacity eventually led to its falling out of favour when larger engines (such as the Ten-Wheelers) entered the fray.

• Canada's love for railroads began with the first railway constructed in 1836: the Champlain and Saint Lawrence Rail Road.
• Prior to 1853, all locomotives in British North America were imported from the United States or from Great Britain.
• In 1848, the Montreal and Lachine Railroad purchased one of the first 4-4-0 locomotives to be used here in Canada.
• Inaugurated in 1853, the Great Western Railway began operating with six 4-4-0 locomotives that had been shipped from the United States.
• On April 16, 1853, the Toronto Locomotive Work completed work on the first locomotive built in Canada: a 4-4-0 steam engine known as the Toronto.

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a black beauty box.

Order your coin today!

Specifications

• Mintage: 7,500
• Composition: 99.99% pure silver
• Finish: proof
• Weight (g): 31.39
• Diameter (mm): 38
• Edge: serrated
• Certificate: serialized
• Face value: 20 dollars
• Artist: David A. Oram (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)