Owner Comments:
Superb colorized Canada specimen quarter commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Titanic with no toning, prooflike luster on devices, and very strong strike. Central area of reverse is colorized. Obverse surfaces are equivalent to a reverse proof with mirrored devices and frosty fields and mottoes. Vertical striation is present in both obverse and reverse fields producing a matte-like finish. Coin appears to be essentially flawless except for a tiny contact mark below Elizabeth's eye. Cost: $20.75 on 6/9/15 on eBay from Outer Banks Bullion (obb2001).
Weight: 12.51 grams. Diameter: 35 mm. Composition: Copper-nickel. Edge: plain. Finish: Specimen with color.
Mintage: 10,000.
In 1912, the luxurious Titanic was known as the unsinkable ship. She was the grandest passenger liner ever to grace an ocean. As indomitable as any vessel created, as elegantly appointed as the finest hotels, Titanic was a triumph of engineering and style. When she slid beneath the icy waters off the coast of Newfoundland in the pre-dawn hours of April 15, 1912, the world was astonished. One hundred years later, Titanic lives on as an enduring symbol of accomplishment and loss—of hubris and heroism—on an epic scale.
To build the world’s greatest ship, the White Star Line enlisted the world’s most renowned shipbuilders. Harland & Wolff employed 3000 workers using new technology such as hydraulic riveting machines—using just over 3,000,000 rivets, working from plans that included innovative engineering touches designed to prevent catastrophic flooding. The onboard experience, meanwhile, defined five-star opulence with its fine art, fine furnishings and fine dining—a vision exemplified by first class passengers emerging from their staterooms to descend the majestic grand central staircase on their way to an exquisite 11-course dinner.
The ship’s legendary sole voyage came to a shocking conclusion 640 kilometers from the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, which meant Canada would be forever linked to the name Titanic. Sailing on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England to New York, USA, she struck an iceberg and sank on April 15, 1912. Tragically, 1,517 of the 2,223 passengers died. The steamship Carpathia, which rescued approximately 700 passengers that night, would go on to be a troopship for Canadian forces in World War I. Three Halifax ships were involved with the recovery of bodies, and many of those victims have found their final resting place on Canadian soil.