Sir John Franklin is a legend in our time—but not for his successes. The mysterious fate of Franklin’s last Northwest Passage expedition has fascinated people for 170 years, but Franklin didn’t step aboard the Erebus out of obscurity. In his day, he was a celebrated explorer and naval commander: a man of vast experience.

From the Bank of Canada Museum comes Before the Erebus: the making of Sir John Franklin—an exhibition that follows Franklin through the routes of his adventurous career. Like signposts along the way, we present examples of currency that reflect the societies, the shifting empires and the turbulent histories that Franklin encountered during this great era of exploration and revolution.

Now at the Canadian Museum of History on the lower level.