The second issue in the “Legends of the Seas” series is dedicated to one of the most famous ships in polar exploration history: Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance.

In 1915, the Endurance became trapped in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea during her voyage to Antarctica, and after months battling the forces of nature, was ultimately crushed. What followed was one of the most extraordinary survival stories in maritime history – Shackleton and his crew fought their way back to civilization across ice and open ocean, without losing a single man. Thanks to smartminting® technology, the ship is brought back to life in her final hour: the sailing vessel, trapped in the ice, with every detail of her rigging and hull modeled in striking relief straight out of the coin. On the reverse, Shackleton himself looks back at us, determined and watchful, just as he was on his legendary expedition.

This colorized 1-ounce coin with ultra-high relief is limited in mintage to only 999 pieces and tells one of the most gripping stories of courage and survival at sea.