This silver Queen Victoria shilling, dated 1842, is part of a collection of relics recovered from Sir John Franklin's Arctic expedition of 1848-9. The relics were given to Dr John Rae by North American Inuits in 1854.
The shilling is inscribed, 'one shilling' surrounded by a wreath with a crown at the top. There is a perforation on the left hand side.
During his trip of 1853-4, which was wholly sponsored by the Hudson's Bay Company, Rae and his seven men brought home news of the fateful Franklin expedition. For this, they received a government reward of 10,000 pounds.
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