1679 1979 Griffon Tricentennial Ghost Shop Canada Silver Dollar 4VZ4

Description

Up for sale is a silver Canadian dollar struck in 1979 to commemorate the disappearance of the ship Le Griffin. It was among the first ship to sail the Upper Great Lakes. On 18 September 1679 the ship was loaded with a cargo of furs, with six crewmen on board and sailed towards Fort Frontenac, a French military fort and trading post. By the end of November, Le Griffon still hadn’t arrived. The disappearance became the stuff of legends. An Indian prophet called Metiomek of the Iroquois said legend had cursed the ship before it left. He told its owner, the explorer René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, that the ship would sink. For years afterwards, sailors on Lake Michigan have claimed to see the ghostly outlines of a barque resembling Le Griffon suddenly appear and disappear. Many explorers have claimed to have found the wreck of Le Griffon but none of these findings have been conclusive. This coin was produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1979 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the ship's short service and disappearance. Please view photos and feel free to ask questions.