Description
1999 Proof Set - 225th Annie. of the Voyage of Juan Pérez and the Sighting of the Queen Charlotte Islands
Spanish explorer Juan Pérez sailed north from the Spanish territory of California in 1774 aboard the frigate Santiago, charged with the mission of claiming land for the Spanish Crown and reporting on Russian activity in the area.
Russian advances into Alaska around this time prompted the Spanish to venture north to protect their dominion in the region. The Pérez voyage was the first documented Spanish expedition to go so far north along the Pacific coast of North America.
At the northern extreme of his voyage, Pérez, sighted a point of land which he named Santa Margarita and anchored offshore. This point was part of a group of islands called Haida Gwaii by their original inhabitants, the Haida people.
The Haida paddled in canoes to greet the Santiago, a type of vessel unknown to them. They showered the water around the vessel with feathers and the Santiago crew traded with the Haida. A storm blew up before Pérez could go ashore, forcing him to sail away from the islands, never to return. Haida Gwaii was named the Queen Charlotte Islands after a British vessel, the Queen Charlotte, that reached the area in 1787.
Specifications:
Mintage: 95,113
Finish: Proof
Special Features:
- This is the only set available that features both the commemorative silver dollar and the aureate dollar depicting the common loon
Packaging:
Elegant book style packaging, with removable lens, splendidly compliments these fine coins.
