2022 $20 Commemorating Black History :The Underground Railroad - Pure Silver Coin

An ode to those who rode the Gospel Train and followed the stars to freedom.

They risked it all for the promise of freedom at the end of their long journey, and that freedom had a name: "the promised land" that is present-day Canada. The 2022 Commemorating Black History coin honours the flight to freedom of those who "rode" the Underground Railroad to Canada, a safe haven after slavery was abolished here on August 1, 1834.

From the early 1800s through 1865, at least 30,000 enslaved people of African descent fled to British North America by way of a covert network of routes and safe houses. Many of these freedom seekers men, women and children—travelled by foot, and often at night to avoid re-capture. Once in Canada, they found refuge in Black communities and settled in parts of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where they were secure in their freedom, but not free from discrimination.

Celebrate Black History year-round with this heartfelt tribute to the freedom seekers.

New release for black history month. This is the fourth coin in our annual Commemorating Black History series, which honours the legacy of Black people in Canada whose achievements and struggles are an important part of Canada's story.

A powerful theme. A powerful addition to any collection, this is the first RCM coin commemorating the Underground Railroad. Canada was regarded as a safe haven after slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire on August 1, 1834 (August 1 is Emancipation Day in Canada), and it was the terminus for at least 30,000 enslaved people, believed to be as many as 100,000, who travelled the Underground Railroad.

Includes serialized certificate. The Royal Canadian Mint certifies all of its collector coins, including this one, which has a limited mintage of just 5,500 coins worldwide.

Packaging
Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a black Royal Canadian Mint-branded clamshell with a black beauty box.

August 1 is Emancipation Day in Canada
The Underground Railroad helped many people of African descent escape enslavement in the American South, but until the 19th century, slavery existed in British North America (Canada) too. While anti-slavery measures had already been enacted in some Canadian jurisdictions, the Slavery Abolition Act, 1833, that came into effect on August 1, 1834 abolished slavery across most of the British Empire, including present-day Canada. In reality, freedom came more gradually to some and equality was far from assured. But the imperial statute represents a monumental milestone in Black Canadian history, and it shaped the view of Canada as a safe haven and a popular terminus for those who travelled the "Freedom Train."