2018 - $20 - 1 oz. Pure Silver Coloured Coin - Norse Figureheads: Dragon's Sail

For centuries, Icelandic sagas spoke of Viking expeditions to new shorelines that seemingly matched our North Atlantic coast. They chronicled Leif Eriksson's exploration of Helluland, "Land of Stone Slabs" (likely Baffin Island and the northern tip of Labrador ); of the timber-rich land aptly named Markland, "Forest Land" (Labrador); and a resource-rich area named Vinland — a place that seemed more myth than fact until the 1960s, when the remains of an 11th century Norse settlement were unearthed on Newfoundland's Great Northern Peninsula.

Today, L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site is recognized as the oldest European settlement in the New World, and the first authenticated Viking settlement in North America. Its artefacts and structures are proof that Norse ships did come to our shores more than 1,000 years ago, and that the fearless seafarers are a fascinating part of Canada's pre-Columbian history!

Specifications
No. 165041
Mintage 6,000
Composition 99.99% pure silver
Finish proof
Weight (g) 31.39
Diameter (mm) 38
Edge serrated
Certificate serialized
Face value20 dollars
Artist Jean-Pierre Vallée (reverse), Susanna Blunt (obverse)