Composition : 99.99% silver
Mintage : 10000

Georgina Fane Pope 1862-1938
Paving the Way for Women in the Military

Georgina Fane Pope was born in Prince Edward Island in1862. Her father, William Henry Pope (1825-1879), was one of the Fathers of Confederation - a prominent judge and influential political supporter of union among the Canadian colonies. With such eminent origins, Georgina could easily have chosen to lead the comfortable life of a Victorian socialite; instead, she chose a career in nursing - becomingan important figure in both the history of Canadian women's military service and the history of Canadian nursing.
 
In 1899, Georgina Pope became one of four volunteer nurses?each given the rank of lieutenant - to travel to South Africa to assist British troops in theSouth African War.

This appointment was a significant moment in the evolution of women's participation in the Canadian military. Forthe first time, women acting as nurses were given a military rank as well as the salary attributed to that rank.

The war was gruesome largely for the squalid conditions in which soldiers were required to live. Some historical estimates suggest that only about a quarter ofthe British Empire soldiers who died in the war actually perished in combat - the vast majority died of disease. Despite these conditions, Georgina Pope and her fellow nurses offered exemplary service. Pope herself returned to South Africa twice more during the South African War, eventually becoming the head of the fledgling Canadian Army Nursing Service. For her exceptional service, in1903 she became the first Canadian to receive the Royal Red Cross from Queen Victoria.

In 1908, Georgina Pope became the first Nursing Matron-in-Chief of the Canadian Army Medical Corps. Taking charge of all Canadian permanent and reserve military nurses, Pope played a key role in recruiting new military nurses, administering the military hospital, and designing trainingprograms specifically for nurses in the military service. By 1917, however, with war raging once again - this time in Europe - Pope traveled to France and England to serve in the First World War. In 1918, she returned home, shell-shocked and in poor health.

Georgina Pope died in Charlottetown in 1938, but her legacy lives on. 

GEORGINA FANE POPE - 2012 CANADIAN COINS is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 08- ROYAL CANADIAN MINT / 18- MILITARY and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.