To mark the 350th anniversary of the establishment of Hudson’s Bay Company, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a new 5 dollars silver proof coin on 12th May, 2020. The coin is a part of ‘Moments to Hold’ series.

Incorporated in 1670, Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) is Canada’s oldest company. Partnerships with First Nations, Inuit and Metis led to its success during the fur trade era. And as Canada began to take shape, HBC evolved along with it: its commercial pursuits were a crucial part of Canada’s earliest industries and development; its trading posts became Canada’s cities and towns; and its fur-trading empire evolved into the modern retail giant of today.

The obverse features the effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Susanna Blunt. The reverse was designed by Canadian artist Trevor Tennant, which is inspired by the Voyageur dollar introduced in 1935 and created by Emanuel Hahn. The engraved image features six explorers paddling a canoe in rough waters after exchanging goods at the Hudson’s Bay Company trading post, which appears behind the pine trees in the distance. The reverse also includes the word CANADA placed above the primary design while the face value 5 DOLLARS and the year 2020 are inscribed below. The arched text CANADA, date 2020, and maple leaves are the unifying features of this series. This design format will be included on all four coins.

Image Courtesy: Royal Canadian Mint- mint.ca