New silver coin commemorates sinking of S.S. Princess Sophia

The Royal Canadian Mint released a silver coin today to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the greatest marine disaster in the Pacific Northwest - the sinking of the S.S. Princess Sophia.

The steamship was on its way from Skagway, AK to Victoria, B.C. when it struck Vanderbilt Reef in Lynn Canal early on the morning of Oct. 24, 1918, says David Leverton, executive director of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.

There were more than 360 passengers and crew on board, but bad weather prevented any rescue efforts. The ship rested on the reef for forty hours before it sank on Oct. 25, 1918. Everyone on board perished, says Leverton.

Leverton says many people on board the ship were from Yukon and were leaving for the winter.

Staff from the Royal Canadian Mint contacted Leverton to consult on the coin.

"They wanted to ensure that the accuracy of the actual image that was being used was maintained," he said.

Coin depicts moment of impact

"The mint prides itself on telling uniquely Canadian stories," said Alison Crawford with the Royal Canadian Mint.

"When you design a coin, you have to think about what works on a canvas made of metal," she said.

Crawford says artist Yves Berube created the scene featuring the SS Princess Sophia on the coin.

"It has these dark colours that convey the bad weather, the blinding snowstorm that pushed the S.S. Princess Sophia on this fateful collision course with the reef that was hidden by high tide," said Crawford.

"The scene showing the moment of impact is framed by engraved cartography of Lynn Canal. Completing the reverse design is an innovative nautical rope motif engraved to the edge," according to a release from the Mint.

The coin has a face value of $20, but retails for $114.95.

"While this is legal tender, it is non-circulating legal tender," said Crawford.

"We put a much lower face value on the coin so people don't inadvertently put it into circulation," she said.

The new coin is being released alongside a touringanniversary museum exhibit. The exhibit opens in Whitehorse on Oct. 25.