A marvel of nautical engineering, a tall ship is a thing of wonder, and this three-masted (or tern) schooner on this selectively coloured 99.99% pure silver coin has a majesty all of its own.

As seen on your coin’s reverse, this type of schooner doesn’t carry square topsails; instead, the sails are fitted in a fore-and-aft line that enables the ship to have a better windward performance. Between 1880 and 1920, hundreds of tern schooners were launched from shipyards throughout Atlantic Canada.