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    Between tradition and technology

    What was proposed was a complete about-face from the philosophy behind recent security printing. If photocopiers could easily deal with the colours and designs of the current series, then the next series should be bold and simple.

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Unpacking the Collection 7

By: David Bergeron


February 27, 2018

Rediscovering the NCC’s treasure troves

With over 100,000 artifacts in the National Currency Collection, it shouldn’t be surprising that some things are forgotten about. Take for example the “treasure troves,” coins that have been salvaged from shipwrecks.

A 17th century Spanish galleon. A painting by Cornelius Verbeeck. (Wikimedia:Lalay, The National Gallery)

During the “Age of Discovery,” the likes of Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, Amerigo Vespucci and Jacques Cartier petitioned the European rulers to back their voyages through unchartered waters in search of new trade routes to the Far East. There were thousands of shipwrecks. Most were Spanish galleons, loaded with gold and silver from Central and South America; perishing at sea due to treacherous weather, pirates and armed conflict. Over a 400-year span, Spaniards had been draining the American continents of their mineral wealth. It is estimated that there were over 32,000 trans-oceanic voyages in this era.

Many of the notable shipwrecks discovered to date have been found off the coast of Florida. During the late-summer hurricane season, the stretch of water along Florida’s east coast and out toward the open seas was notorious for claiming many ships. Even during the 1950s and 60s, the area, which became known famously as the Bermuda Triangle, was the site of the mysterious disappearance of many aircraft and ships. Sailing vessels leaving the Caribbean bound for Europe had to follow the Florida coast north to find the favourable trade winds to bring them east across the Atlantic Ocean.

This Spanish gold cob was struck in Mexico City and recovered from a 1715 Fleet shipwreck. (NCC.2015.24.1)

The coin featured above was salvaged from the so-called 1715 Treasure Fleet. It was in fact a combination of two fleets: one from Mexico and one from South America, totalling some 12 or 13 ships. The fleet was carrying over 1,000 people and 14 million pesos in coins (14 million dollars at the time). On June 30, 1715, off the east coast of Florida, the ships encountered a hurricane that destroyed the whole fleet. Hundreds of the crew and passengers were lost, along with the entire cargo of coinage. Modern salvage of the 1715 Fleet shipwreck began in the 1950s. Today, divers and salvagers continue to find coins from those wrecks.

Spanish 4 and 2 reales silver cobs from the Lima mint in Peru. (NCC.1993.12.1)

Canadian waters have also claimed their fair share of treasure ships. The HMS Feversham was a 32-gun British warship on its way from the Gulf of St Lawrence to New York with provisions and cash to assist the British campaign against the French (Queen Anne’s War, 1702–13). The Feversham, along with three other ships, sank off Scatarie Island near Louisbourg, Nova Scotia during a storm on October 7, 1711. Many souls perished in that storm and survivors bribed French fisherman to take them to New York. Attempts were made to salvage the wreck, but it lay untouched for centuries. Famous Canadian salvager Alex Storm’s diving team lifted the ships’ treasures in 1968. Subsequent searches of the wreck yielded more booty for fortunate divers. Below are a couple of Spanish cobs from that wreck. Spanish coins were so abundant and readily accepted, that it was not unusual to find them in the cache of a British ship.

This French gold “louis” was struck at the Lyon (D) mint and salvaged from Le Chameau. (NCC.1971.112.3)

One of the better French ecus salvaged from Le Chameau. Compare it to the gold coin at left. (NCC.1976.82.2)

In 1725, the rocky shores of Cape Breton’s east coast claimed another ship when the French man‑of‑war Le Chameau, bound for Louisbourg, was caught in a storm and driven onto the rocks off the coast. On board was 80,000 livres (about $12,000 in 1725 dollars) of French gold and silver coins destined for Québec. It was the loss of ships like this that forced the Intendant of New France, who was responsible for the colony’s finances, to issue playing‑card money as a temporary measure to pay the troops until more coinage arrived. The wreck of Le Chameau was discovered in 1961 and a salvage expedition begun in 1965. The contents of the stricken ship were sold at auction in 1971. These French gold louis and silver ecu coins are from among a couple of hundred the National Currency Collection acquired at a sale. Over the years, salt water had severely damaged the silver coins, yet the gold coins have remained completely intact, proving the metal’s resilience and value.

A Spanish/American silver “piece of 8” found on a Florida beach. This one’s not so good. (NCC.1972.70.1)

There have been thousands of shipwrecks, many of which, by any standards, carried enormous wealth. Treasure hunters have combed the beaches and oceans to uncover the rich treasures of gold and silver coins from the vast mines of Latin America or from European colonial powerhouses like France, Great Britain and the Netherlands. I would like to think that rediscovering the treasure trove coins in the National Currency Collection has been my own treasure hunt and that I can now share the wealth of knowledge about these fascinating coins with our curious and inquisitive visitors.

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Content type(s): Blog posts

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The Museum Blog

May 5, 2022

Between tradition and technology

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, man at an easel, paintings of birds and a goose illustration with comments written on it.
What was proposed was a complete about-face from the philosophy behind recent security printing. If photocopiers could easily deal with the colours and designs of the current series, then the next series should be bold and simple.
Content type(s): Blog posts
April 21, 2022

Teaching the green economy

By: Adam Young


From windmills and solar panels to electric cars, signs of the green economy are all around us. Check out our resources for how to teach about the green economy.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Business and careers, Economy, Geography, Science, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
April 4, 2022

Talk to your kids about money

By: Heather Montgomery


Collage, ceramic pig on background of a bank book and a stamp folder with kids on it.
Introduce important financial skills to your children, and help them plan for their futures with free resources from the Bank of Canada Museum and others.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Financial literacy Grade level(s): Early childhood / Kindergarten, Grade 01, Grade 02, Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
March 3, 2022

Teaching inflation during the COVID-19 pandemic

By: Heather Montgomery


COVID-19 has had an unprecedented effect on the economy: closing businesses, driving down demand and interrupting supplies. With news stories and popular culture addressing inflation and supply chain issues, now is the perfect time to explain this key economic concept to your high school students.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
February 3, 2022

Queen of the bank notes

By: Graham Iddon


Few of us have ever met her, and it’s likely none of us are even remotely related to her. Yet, Canadians have carried her picture in their wallets for generations now. She’s Queen Elizabeth II and has been our monarch for over 70 years.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): History
December 22, 2021

New acquisitions–2021 edition

By: David Bergeron


The Bank of Canada Museum is responsible for the National Currency Collection, and part of its mandate is to foster and develop that collection. Despite the challenges of collecting during a pandemic, curators at the Bank of Canada Museum have acquired some unique artifacts—including some that document the pandemic itself.
Content type(s): Blog posts
December 2, 2021

The true value of money

By: Graham Iddon


Photo collage, old bank notes and coins, gold nuggets and a computer component.
What is money—when you really stop to think about it? To understand how money works, and what it ultimately represents, we need to strip it down to its very basic function.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
November 16, 2021

The 1911 silver dollar

By: David Bergeron


In front of a set of coins in a case, two coins, one lead, one silver, each with identical wreaths of maple leaves.
The 1911 silver dollar has a history to match its prestige, and it now has a permanent home in the National Currency Collection of the Bank of Canada Museum.
Content type(s): Blog posts
October 21, 2021

Moving mountains

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, bank note details, green, face of middle-aged woman, mountains and large number 20.
The $20 bill of 1969 was the prototype of the Scenes of Canada note series. Yet, as more notes were designed, the theme—and the $20 note itself—would change.
Content type(s): Blog posts
September 16, 2021

A mythic metal: Some stories of gold coins

By: Krista Broeckx


In 1896, three enterprising men struck gold in the Klondike region of the Yukon. Their story is just one of many that illustrates the allure of gold through the ages.
Content type(s): Blog posts
September 2, 2021

Virtual Worlds. Real Economies.

By: Adam Young


A cartoon astronaut waves in front of a logo of the game.
The economies in modern, complex video games can teach gamers a lot about decision making and financial literacy.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
August 19, 2021

Fur Trade Economics

By: David Bergeron, Graham Iddon, Krista Broeckx


Photo collage, yellowed document with writing, tokens, carved stick, silver beaver trinket.
Over its 350-year lifespan, the Hudson’s Bay Company has had an enormous impact on Canada’s economy and how the nation was settled.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, History, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 05, Grade 06, Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
June 30, 2021

The house the Bank of Canada built

By: Graham Iddon


Building, old, square, stone building surrounded by 2 glass towers.
The Bank of Canada head office is two structures: the stone cube on Wellington Street and the glass structure that it is nestled into. Both are significant architectural landmarks.
Content type(s): Blog posts
June 3, 2021

Value is in the Eye of the Consumer

By: Graham Iddon


Collage, money, graphs and people playing with hula hoops.
Supply and demand is part of the very bedrock of an economy. It's what generates the price of any product or service.
Content type(s): Blog posts Subject(s): Economy, Financial literacy, Social studies Grade level(s): Grade 07 / Secondary 1, Grade 08 / Secondary 2, Grade 09 / Secondary 3, Grade 10 / Secondary 4, Grades 11 and 12 / Secondary 5 and CEGEP
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