100th Anniversary of the Cobalt Silver Strike - Proof Set (2003)

When Canada's mining industry was born 100th anniversary of the Cobalt silver strike (1903-2003) 

There is a legend that recounts how Cobalt's pivotal silver strike occurred when Fred La Rose, a railway blacksmith tossed a hammer at a pesky fox - an account that may be largely exaggeration, but does hold two verifiable facts true; the discovery was accidental and it did occur in 1903. 

At the time, Ontario's railway was inching its way into the northeastern region of the province to open up new agricultural lands. Contractors J.H. McKinley and Ernest Darraugh were hired to supply railway ties. In the summer of 1903, they were surveying the area of Long Lake (later Cobalt Lake) for timber when glittering rocks strewn on the shoreline caught their eyes. Tom Hebert, another railway employee who was also prospecting on nearby Nipissing Hill, found vein after vein exposed at the surface. It was silver - the richest silver deposit the world had seen thus far. 

Within months, McKinley and Darraugh opened Cobalt's first silver mine. Dozens of mining companies followed and the success they experienced in Cobalt spurred the continued exploration of the North - Canada's mining industry was born.

About this Proof Set: 

This proof set of Canadian coinage features both the commemorative silver dollar and the aureate dollar depicting the common loon. The commemorative silver dollar in this set is struck in 99.99% fine silver to reflect the theme. The mintage has been limited to 100,000 sets worldwide.

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