Celebrate a Canadian milestone anniversary with this 2020 two ounce $30 fine silver coin marking the 150th Anniversary of the Northwest Territories.  It was more than a 150 years ago, in 1870 that the transfer of Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory resulted in the establishment of Canada’s first territory. The flora, fauna, landscapes, and diverse peoples of the Northwest Territories have made it a cherished part of our Canadian family. But our “oldest” territory is also young at heart, with new generations of artists and innovators that are, today, looking to the past to shape the future of the North. Adding to its collectability, the mintage is limited to just 2,500. HST/GST exempt.

The Design:

The coin’s reverse design is a timeless celebration of life in the Northwest Territories, and every engraved detail has symbolic meaning—from the midnight sun to the ulus that represents the11 official languages. 

Northwest Territories:

The Northwest Territories (NWT) entered Confederation in 1870 after Canada acquired Rupert’s Land and the North-Western Territory from the Hudson’s Bay Company. The smaller territory now known as the NWT is what remains after the creation of several other provinces and territories out of the original 1870 lands. This event greatly shaped the Canada you know today. 

In 1951, the NWT began to elect members to the council; by 1974, the council was a fully elected body, although still located in Ottawa. In 1953, Canada created the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources (now the ministry of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development), which took on more federal responsibility for the territory.  

In 1966, the federal government created federal electoral districts in the NWT, allowing residents there to elect members to the federal Parliament. In 1967, Yellowknife was named the capital.