About 170 years ago, Great Britain sent two Naval ships through the Northwest Passage. The Northwest passage connects ships to the Atlantic Ocean through the Pacific Ocean at the Antarctic. Unfortunately, these two Naval ships were never seen or heard again, and presumptive sank at sea.

It was not until 2014 that sea explorations discovered one of these two lost ships, the Franklin Flagship, HMS Erebus, laying at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. But, of course, this shipwreck did not reveal how many lives were lost, if there were survivors, and how long these survivors lived after the shipwreck.

In 2015, Great Britain presented to the public, through The Royal Canadian mint, two newest $20.00 silver coins, to remember all shipwrecks within the Candian waters.

These two commemorative silver coins have a profile and etching of Elizabeth II, with 20 dollars imprinted around the outer side of the coin. The profile of Elizabeth faces to the left, and the initials, S.B., Susanna Blunt, etched on Elizabeth’s right shoulder. Susanna Blunt was the honoured artist who designed these new silver coins to remember all ship crews who lost lives on Canada’s high seas.

Susanna Blunt is a world-renown portrait artist, and she travels internationally to fulfil commissions. She develops renowned garden fountains and sculpture pieces for private homes and businesses. She also fulfils commissions for amazing murals in private homes and on business walls.