2020-07-24 Fri

Marking 250 years since Captain James Cook and the crew of the Endeavour sighted the east coast of Australia in 1770; this innovative 2oz silver collectable celebrates the scientific achievements made possible by the historic voyage.

Captained by explorer and navigator James Cook, British Royal Navy’s research vessel Endeavour embarked on its Pacific voyage on 26 August 1768 with instructions to chart the transit of Venus across the sun at the equator. Reaching the east coast of Australia in 1770, the Endeavour’s exploration of the Pacific Ocean had a tremendous impact on navigation leading to the first large-scale hydrographic surveys and advancements in the measurement of longitude.

The coin’s reverse design features representations of the scientific breakthroughs and discoveries made during Endeavour’s journey. Arranged around a central insert of a rotating ship’s wheel, these representations include the ship, a sundial charting the path of Venus, navigational tools, Banksia flowers named after Joseph Banks, mapping equipment and James Cook. Also included in the design is a background depicting continents mapped during the voyage, the inscription ‘ENDEAVOUR 1770-2020’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Image Courtesy: perthmint.com