2022 Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration: 03 James Caird £2 BU

The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration was an era in the exploration of the continent which began at the end of the 19th century and ended after the First World War. During this Heroic Age, Antarctica was the focus of international efforts that resulted in intensive scientific and geographic exploration by many expeditions launched from several countries.

In 1914 Shackleton set sail from South Georgia for his Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition aboard the Endurance. After encountering difficult ice conditions, the Endurance became beset in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, drifting north throughout the Antarctic winter before the ship was eventually crushed and sunk. With no hope of rescue, Shackleton made the decision to seek help on the island of South Georgia, some 800 miles away. Of the three lifeboats taken from Endurance, it was the James Caird thought most likely to survive the journey. Shackleton had named it after Sir James Key Caird, a Dundee philanthropist whose sponsorship had helped finance the expedition.

The coin shows the moment the James Caird arrived on South Georgia and marked the beginning or the end of the famous rescue mission to save the crew of Endurance. Issued on behalf of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the coin has been produced in Bi-metal and Proof Fine Silver with Goldclad®. The obverse of the coin features an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II produced exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.