The Royal Canadian Mint has released the first of three coins which remembers Canada’s old Norse and Viking past and is a fitting tribute to the many Scandinavian settlers who immigrated to North America and made Canada their home during the last three centuries.

Vinland is the area of coastal North America explored by Norse Vikings and where Leif Erikson first landed in the year 1000, approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. Vinland was the name given to the part of North America believed to be the area known today as Newfoundland and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, as far as Northeastern New Brunswick, and where traces of Viking settlements were discovered in 1960. Old Norse writings had referenced the land of Vinland during the same time that the lands of Greenland and Iceland were discovered and shown on maps.

Norse mythology has influenced the way narrated stories are handed down today, and has given rise to some everyday words. Its tales of gods and giants represented tradition to the Vikings of Vinland, and folklore to Scandinavian settlers in Canada. Thor, for instance, is the ultimate Norse warrior, in which his courage and brawn make him the ideal defender of Asgard, one of the nine worlds and home to Aesir gods Odin, Frigg, and many more. In the time of Vinland’s Viking Age, quick-tempered Thor, the son of Odin and Jord, was one of the most admired figures of Norse faith and lore, and it is from him that many cultures derive the word “Thursday,” meaning Thor’s Day. Thor has three key possessions: Mjöllnir, a giant-slaying hammer; Járngreip, his iron gloves; and Megingjörð, a belt that doubles his physical strength. Thor represents strength, but he is also the god of agriculture and fertility. As with all Gods and figures of good versus evil, he had an arch-enemy who was Jörmungandr, a giant sea serpent that wraps itself around Midgard (or Earth).

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The first coin is designed by Alexandra Lefort and depicts the battle between Thor and Jörmungandr at Ragnarök, an end-of-days event in Norse mythology. Clad in the finest clothing and armour of the Viking era, the Norse god of thunder stands with his hammer raised, ready to strike the coiled serpent. Selective gold plating highlights Thor’s hammer, iron gloves, and belt. A Norse art-inspired pattern lines the rim on the obverse and reverse. The gold-plated goat heads represent Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjóstr, who pull Thor’s chariot, while the gold-plated hammer, the Mjöllnir, is based on a 10th-century silver pendant.

The obverse features the effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II created by Susanna Blunt, and has been seen on all circulation and many commemorative coins since 2003.

Denom. Metal Weight Diameter Quality Maximum Mintage 20 dollars .999 Silver 31.3 g 38 mm Proof with selective gold plating 3,500

Each coin is individually encapsulated and presented in a custom case that includes a numbered certificate of authenticity. A $15 discount will be applied off the last coin when ordering the three-coin subscription. The other two coins will feature Odin and Frigg, which will be released in June and August, respectively. A custom case is also available by reserving a subscription that will house all three coins. For additional information about these coins and others available from the Royal Canadian Mint, please visit their website.

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