Local marine artist John Horton designed a pair of commemorative coins that were recently released by the Royal Canadian Mint.
One of the coins, unveiled earlier this month in Nova Scotia, helps celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Louisbourg settlement. The silver coin depicts a waterfront scene and includes a fisherman unloading his catch.
"The interesting part is all the research you have to do," said Horton, who lives in Tsawwassen. "They are very particular about the accuracy of what you're depicting."
Louisbourg was the centre of French power in the Atlantic region during the first half of the 18th century, the mint's website notes, adding it was a major hub for fishing and trading ships.
The other coin, released last month, depicts the capture of the USS Chesapeake by HMS Shannon during a naval battle from the War of 1812.
The encounter, which actually took place in the summer of 1813, is described as one of the bloodiest naval battles of the conflict.
That coin was released in gold, silver and limited platinum versions.
Plaster carvings were made from his pencil drawings, Horton explained, noting the carvings were scanned down to the finished size of the coins.
"The Royal Canadian Mint is known world-wide for crafting coins which stand out for their rich designs and exceptional quality and we are proud to delight our customers with spectacular new pieces of numismatic art with uniquely Canadian stories to tell," said Ian E. Bennett, president and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint.
