The 1997 Isle of Man crown series frequently commemorated explorers and navigators, and this piece marks Leif Eriksson's landfall in North America — generally dated to around 1000 AD and associated with the Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, the only confirmed Viking site in the Americas. Eriksson's voyage predates Columbus by roughly five centuries, a fact that generated considerable political friction during U.S. planning for the 1992 Columbian Quincentenary celebrations.
The Pobjoy Mint struck the majority of Isle of Man commemorative crowns during this period under contract.
The 1997 Isle of Man crown series frequently commemorated explorers and navigators, and this piece marks Leif Eriksson's landfall in North America — generally dated to around 1000 AD and associated with the Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, the only confirmed Viking site in the Americas. Eriksson's voyage predates Columbus by roughly five centuries, a fact that generated considerable political friction during U.S. planning for the 1992 Columbian Quincentenary celebrations.
The Pobjoy Mint struck the majority of Isle of Man commemorative crowns during this period under contract.