Shipping along the Great Lakes has long been a major source of commerce for both the United States and Canada. In 1979, Canada paid tribute to the 300th anniversary first voyage of a commercial ship on the Great Lakes by depicting the ship, the Griffon, on the reverse of the 1979 Canadian Silver Dollar. The Griffon was built in 1679 by Frenchman Robert de La Salle to transport furs across the Great Lakes. The Griffon mysteriously sank in a storm on its maiden voyage, however, and sailing did not appear again on the Great Lakes until the French and Indian War of 1754-1760.