ACTEON
ISLANDS COIN FEATURES FISH AND SAILING SHIP
The Acteon Islands are an isolated
group of four atolls located about 870 miles (1,400 km) east-southeast
of Tahiti that are under the jurisdiction of French Polynesia. They
were first sighted by a European in 1605, but then lost until
rediscovered in 1833. In 1836, Lord Edward Russell mapped the
islands and named them after his ship, HMS Actaeon. In 1953 French
Polynesia established two civil property companies to develop the
atolls and granted them exclusive use for a period of ten
years. Though little was done, the agreement and the atolls
were permanently transferred to the companies. The companies
were later dissolved, leaving ownership of the atolls uncertain. In
March 2021 the Catholic Mission of Tahiti (CAMICA) claimed ownership of
the seven atolls by right of occupation. The acquisition was
challenged in court by decedents of the original owners and
has still not been resolved. One side of the coin depicts a
sailing ship sailing into the sunset. Below are Moorish Idol
fish (Zanclus cornutus) and coral. The other side features
Marianne, who is the symbol of the French Republic. This unofficial
2024 silver plated Proof 750 Francs of the Acteon Islands has a mintage
of only 120 pieces. GECKO
AND SHIP ON AGALEGA COIN
Agalega
consists of two small islands in the western part of the Indian Ocean
located. They are administered my Mauritius, which is located
683
miles (1100 km) to the south. It has a population of about
330. The
first settlement was established by a former French Privateer in 1808
who imported slaves. The exact location of the islands was
finally
mapped in 1811 by Captain Briggs of HMS Clorinde. The ship
appears on
the reverse of the coin. Mauritius allowed India to start
building a
major military base on the islands in 2015, over the objection of the
residents who saw it as a threat to self-determination and creole
language and culture. The obverse of this unofficial Agalega
2023
dated 500 Rupees coin features a Gecko over the Agalega coat of arms.
The coat of arms includes a ship, palm treed, star above a mountain and
a key. The odd shaped coin is struck on silver-plated brass
and has a
mintage of only 150 pieces.PIRATES
ON ALBORAN COIN
Alboran
is a small island in the western Mediterranean between Spain and
Morocco. The name comes from a Tunisian pirate who used it as
a base to attack ships passing through the Straits of
Gibraltar. His attacks were so fierce he became known as
Al-Borani (hence the island's name), which means
"thunderstorm". The island was captured by Spain in a bloody
battle in 1540. Today the island is inhabited by a small
Spanish military garrison. This unofficial 2025 dated 2
Taleros of Alboran depicts two sailing ships engaged in battle on one
side and a Wildman leaning on the coat of arms on the other. The 40mm
rectangular silver-plated Proof coin has a mintage of only 120 pieces.
Elsie
MacGill, born in 1905, was the world's first woman to earn an
aeronautical engineering degree in 1929 and was the first woman in
Canada to receive a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in
1927. Despite contracting polio and facing discrimination due
to her sex, she worked herself up to become the Chief Aeronautical
Engineer at Canadian Car and Foundry (CanCar). While there
she designed and tested the Maple Leaf II Trainer. Later she supervised
the production of Hawker Hurricane fighters at CanCar that
were needed for Britain's war effort, earning her the title "Queen of
the Hurricanes". In addition to her many engineering achievements was
an advocate for women's rights. The eleven-sided
2023 Canadian 1 Dollar coin depicts Elsie MacGill carrying
blueprints. Above is a Maple Leaf II Trainer. To
the left is a Hawker Hurricane. Two versions of the coin were
struck. One with the Hawker Hurricane in color, the other
without color. Canada has yet to come up with a portrait of
Charles III, so Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse with the dates 2003
at the top and 1952 + 2022 at the bottom.
Canada
issued both colored and uncolored versions of their 20220 circulating 1
Dollar coin commemorating the 175th anniversary of the birth of
inventor Alexander Graham Bell. Though Bell is most
remembered for his invention of the telephone, he also did
groundbreaking work in optical telecommunications, hydrofoils, and
aeronautics. His work with hydrofoils and aeronautics were
done in his later years in Canada. This is reflected in the design of
the coins, which feature a portrait of Bell in his later years, his
signature, schematic illustrations of the Silver Dart - the first
aircraft to achieve controlled powered flight in Canada in 1909, and
his HD-4 hydrofoil, which in 1919 set world marine speed record of
70.86 miles per hour (114.04 kph), a record which stood for ten
years. Both events took place at Nova Scotia’s Bras d’Or
Lake. The lake is represented by wave lines on the uncolored
con and blue on the colored version. Queen Elizabeth is on
the obverse 
Canada
celebrated the 100th anniversary of the schooner Bluenose with
three 2021 dimes. Bluenose was launched as a fishing and
racing schooner in 1921. Bluenose had long been a nickname
for Nova Scotians. The ship repeatedly won the International
Fisherman's Cup and other important competitions.
In 1937, when she was at the height of her fame, she was placed on the
reverse of the Canadian dime. It was the year she won her
final race. Fishing schooners were replaced by motorized
trawlers. Bluenose was motorized and in 1942 was stripped of
her masts and rigging and converted to a costal freighter working in
the Caribbean. In 1946, while carrying a load of bananas, she
struck a reef in Haiti and was abandoned. The three versions
of the 2021 Bluenose dime include one with the traditional design with
the dates 1921 2021, one with an updated version showing the ship
cutting through the waves, and a colorized version showing the ship
cutting through the waves. All three have the Susanna Blunt portrait of
Queen Elizabeth on the obverse.
The
Islas Desventuradas are four remote islands belonging to Chile that are
530 miles (850 km.) off the coast of Chile. The
name translates as the "Unlucky Islands". The only
inhabitants is a garrison of the Chilean Navy located on Isla San
Felix. A 6,600 foot (2000m.) runway runs the entire length of
the island. The unofficial 2023 5000 Pesos of Islas
Desventuradas depicts a nereid (sea nymph) riding hippocampus and the
coat of arms on the obverse. A sailboat is on the
reverse. The, unofficial silver-plated Proof coin has a
mintage of just 145 pieces. AMPHIBIOUS
AIRPLANE OVER DUBAI
This unofficial six-sided 100 Dirhams
of Dubai features an ICON A5 amphibious aircraft flying over the Palm
Jumeirah. The ICON A5 is a two-seater light sport aircraft
designed for fun, simplicity and safety. The company has
faced serious production difficulties and had further setbacks when its
lead designer and chief test pilot were killed in a crash of the
aircraft. The Palm Jumeirah is a palm-shaped archipelago of
artificial islands just off the coast of Dubai. It features
high end hotels, restaurants and residential units. The coat
of arms of Dubai, the Burj Khalifa - the world’s tallest skyscraper and
the Burj al Arab - also known as the sail hotel, are on the
obverse. The 39mm silver-plated Proof coin has a mintage of
only 120 pieces.DUCIE
ISLAND COIN FEATURES SAILING SHIP AND TROPICBIRD
Ducie is an uninhabited atoll in the
Pacific Ocean, located 470 km east of Pitcairn. Administratively it is
a British Overseas Territory. Ducie was discovered in 1606 by Pedro
Fernandez Quiros, who called it Luna Puesta. It was rediscovered by HMS
Pandora captain Edward Edwards, who was sent in 1790 to capture the
mutiny participants on HMS Bounty. He named it Ducie in honor of the
3rd Earl Ducie, Francis Reynolds-Moreton, under whom he had previously
served. In 1867, under the Guano Act, the United States laid claim to
the territory, but on December 19, 1902, the island was annexed by
Great Britain and became part of the Pitcairn Islands. On 4 August
1937, Captain J. W. Rivers-Carnac, commanding HMS Leander, asserted
British sovereignty over Ducie by raising the Union Flag and erecting
plaques declaring the island to be the property of King George VI. Due
to its inaccessibility and distance from Pitcairn, cruise ships visit
Ducie once or twice a year. The obverse of this unofficial
2024 100 Tala of Ducie Island depicts King Charles III, his cypher and
Pitcairn coast of arms. The reverse includes a Red-tailed
tropicbird, a sailing ship and palm trees. The 39 mm,
silver-plated brass Proof coin has a mintage of 125 pieces.
Geyser Reef (Banc du Geyser) is
dangerous, low reef in the Mozambique Channel about 78 miles (125km)
northeast of Mayotte. France, Comoros and Madagascar all
claim the reef, though it is presently under French control.
It was first known to Arab sailors about 700AD and has been shown on
some navigation charts since about 800AD. It got its present
name when the British ship HMS Geysir ran aground on the reef on
December 23, 1678. The ship is depicted on the reverse of this
unofficial triangular 2024 Geyser 5000 Francs. The obverse
depicts both a whale shark, manta ray. The silver-plated
Proof coin has a mintage of 125 pieces.
This
circulating commemorative Gibraltar 50 Pence was issued for the 2019
Island games which were held in Gibraltar from July 6 to 12.
The games were attended by some 2000 athletes from 24 island
territories and nations from around the world competing in 14
sports. The seven-sided copper-nickel coin depicts a stylized
image of a Laser sail boat and sailor. 
The Albulian Railway is commemorated on
this unofficial 2023 10 Franc coin for the Swiss canton of
Graubunden. The obverse features the coat of arms of
Graubunden and two women, one personifying the canton of Graubunden and
the other is Helvetia personifying Switzerland. The reverse
depicts a steam engine and the Landwasser viaduct on the
railway. The construction of the railroad began in 1898, it
was opened in 1903 and since 2008 has been a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. The odd-shaped coin is 42 x 21mm. The silver
plated Proof coin has a mintage of only 120 pieces. 
A Russian Polikarpov I-15 bi-plane
fighter is featured on this unofficial 2023 dated 50 Markka coin of
Hanko (Hango). The plane was used between 1939 and 1944 in the two wars
between Finland and the Soviet Union. The Hanko peninsula is the
southernmost point of mainland Finland and is the home of the port and
city of Hanko. During the 19th and early 20th centuries while
Finland was under Russian control, Hanko was the port of choice for
emigrants leaving Finland for a new life in North America and a popular
resort of Russian nobility. After the 1939 Winter War between
Finland and the Soviet Union, Finland was forced to lease the peninsula
to Russia for 30 years as a naval base. Finland regained
control of the peninsula in 1941 during the second Soviet-Finnish
war. The obverse of the coin depicts the heraldic
Finnish lion. The Proof silver-plated brass coin
has a mintage of only 125 pieces. "SLOW" AND "FAST" QUADRIGAS FROM
ITALY
POYAIS
– BIGGEST SCAM OF THE 19th CENTURY 
The
State of Poyais was one of the largest scams of the 19th
Century. Scottish soldier and adventurer Gregor MacGregor
showed up in London in 1821 claiming to be the Cacique (Prince) of
Poyais. Poyais is located on the Mosquito Coast of what is
now Honduras. He created numerous documents to make the
nation appear legitimate. He opened offices in London,
Edinburgh and Glasgow where he sold property in Poyais, officer
commissions in the Poyais military, and sold Poyais bonds on the London
stock exchange. Those emigrating to Poyais could exchange
their gold or silver for Bank of Poyais currency. The first
group of settlers arrived from England in autumn of 1822 and found no
nation and no settlement, just jungle. They refused to
believe they had been duped until after a second ship of settlers
arrived. Eventually a few settlers made it back to London, by which
time MacGregor escaped to Paris where he continued his
scheme. After being arrested in France he made his way to
Venezuela where he became a respected member of society.
Almost 200 settlers lost their lives and thousands lost their savings
in the scheme. This unofficial 2024 rectangular 40 Qetsales
of Poyais depicts the coat of arms on the obverse and a sailing ship
and Indian chief on the reverse. The silver-plated Proof coin
has a mintage of only 120 pieces.
Martin
Garcia is an island located at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata between
Argentina and Uruguay. It is named after the storekeeper of the Juan
Diaz de Solis expedition who was buried on the island. Due to
its strategic location ownership of the island was disputed between
Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. There have been a number of battles for
control of the island between various groups. Argentina used it as a
penal colony. In 1973 Argentina and Uruguay agreed to divide
the island, with the northern portion, called Timoteo Domínguez Islands
going to Uruguay, the southern portion called Martin Garcia going to
Argentina, with the stipulation that the island would be a natural
reserve. The silver-plated Proof 2024 Martin Garcia 5000 Peso
coin depicts an early 19th century sailing ship. The coat of arms is on
the obverse. The unofficial issue has a mintage of only 150
pieces.
Migingo is a 1/2 acre (.2 hectare)
island in Lake Victoria in Kenya. The island was believed to be the
home of an evil spirit and uninhabited until 1991 when two fishermen
paid a sorcerer to expel the spirit. It is a rich fishing
area, especially for Nile Perch. More fishermen moved to the
island and attempted to establish an independent commune.
Uganda then claimed the island and a low-level war broke out between
Kenya and Uganda, before Uganda finally relinquished its claims in
2009. In 2018 the tiny island was inhabited by more than 400
people, making one of the most densely populated regions in the
world. The men engage primarily in fishing and the women in
prostitution. This unofficial 2024 dated 1500 Shillings of
Migingo depicts the coat of arms on the obverse and a Nile perch and a
fisherman in a boat on the reverse. The 37mm silver-plated
Proof coin has a mintage of 120 pieces.
The Free
Republic of Nias was a short-lived Nazi state proclaimed by German
prisoners on the Island of Nias in what is now Indonesia.
After Germany invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, the Dutch rounded up
the Germans living in the Netherlands East Indies and attempted to
transport them in three ships to India. One of the ships was
attacked by Japanese bombers. Of the 477 prisoners who were
aboard, just 67 managed to survive and reach Nias in
lifeboats. There local Dutch authorities placed them under
arrest. On March 28, 1942, news came of the
Japanese military successes. The local police revolted and
placed the Dutch authorities under arrest and released the
Germans. The following day the Germans, in cooperation with
the leaders of Nias, proclaimed the Free Republic of Nias.
The Germans reached out to Japanese authorities who they expected to be
their allies. They attempted to turn their Dutch and English prisoners
to the Japanese Instead, the Japanese sent six
ships to occupy the island, and on April 24, 1942 all Europeans,
regardless of nationality were transported off Nias to Sumatra. The
obverse of the unofficial 2023 Free Republic of Nias 20 Mark coin
depicts the republic's emblem. The reverse features a Pinisi
type sailing ship that was likely used by Japanese to remove the
Europeans. The triangular, silver-plated Proof coin has a
mintage of 150 pieces.
Oil
Rocks, known as Neft Dashlari in Azerbaijan, is a city built on a
series of platforms over the Caspian Sea. The first oil well
in complex was drilled in 1949. Soon an entire functioning
city was built over the Caspian Sea as oil production
expanded. At its peak in the 1960's the city housed some 5000
workers and included nine-story living quarters, hotels, parks with
trees, a restaurant, movie theater, soccer pitch, and hospital
connected by some 190 miles (300km) of streets built on piles or
landfill. Control of Oil Rocks passed to Azerbaijan after the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, oil production has
declined and portions of the city has fallen into disrepair or
collapsed, though it is estimated there is as much as 178 million
barrels (30 million tons) of recoverable oil remain. The
obverse coin depicts a helicopter landing on one of the city's
platforms. The reverse depicts the Lun Ekranoplan.
The Lun is the world's only Ground Effect Vehicle (GEV) to be deployed
as a warship. It resembles an airplane but can only fly up to
about 13 feet (4m) off the surface of the water. The plan was to create
an attack/transport ship that had the speed of an airplane.
Its eight jet engines gave it a top speed of 297 knots (340mph,
550kph). The 242 foot long vessel (73.8m) carried a crew of
15. Its weapons included six guided missile launchers and two 23mm
cannons. Only one was ever completed which entered service in
the Soviet Navy in 1987. It was soon discovered that the Lun
was unable to operate in rough seas. After the collapse of
the Soviet Union it was abandoned. An attempt to tow it to a
museum in 2020 resulted it in it getting stuck on a sandy beach, where
at last reports, it remains today. The unofficial,
odd-shaped, 42mm, silver-plated, Proof 2023 Naft Dashlari 500 Manat has
a mintage of only 125 pieces. 
The
Republic of Rose Island (Respubliko de la Insulo de la Rozoj) was a
short-lived micronation located a man-made platform in international
waters in Adriatic Sea off the coast of Italy. The project
was begun in 1958 Italian engineer Giorgio Rosa. On May 1,
1968 Rosa declared it an independent nation with himself as
president. 55 Days later the Italy invaded and took control
of the platform and set up a blockade. Italy found it
impossible to dismantle the well-constructed platform so attempted to
bomb it - twice without success. It was finally toppled by a
storm in February 1969. This unofficial 2024 4000 Mils of the
Republic of Rose Island depicts a bouquet of roses on the obverse and a
sailing yacht approaching the platform on the reverse. The
silver-plated Proof coin has a mintage of only 150 pieces.
A sailing
ship if featured on this square 2023 dated 2000 Pesos of Sala Y
Gomez. The coat of arms is on the obverse. Sala Y
Gomez is sometimes considered the easternmost point of the Polynesian
Triangle. It was known to the inhabitants of Easter Island,
which is located 243 miles (391km) to the southwest. It is
uninhabited due to its remoteness, small size, lack of fresh water and
rough terrain. It is named after Spanish sailor Jose Salas
Valdes who discovered it in 1793 and Jose Manuel Gomez who later
explored it. Today the island belongs to Chile, which is
located 2000 miles (3210km) to the east. The surrounding waters are a
Marine Protected Area. The unofficial 39mm silver-plated
brass Proof coin has a mintage of only 145 pieces.
Sentosa,
originally known as Blakang Mati, is located off the southern coast of
Singapore. Fortifications to protect Singapore were built on
the island in the 19th century. In the 1970's the island was
renamed Sentosa and turned into a resort. Today it houses 14
hotels, 2 golf courses, a theme park, casino and a sheltered
beach. It attracts more than 20 million visitors a
year. The obverse of this unofficial 2023 Sentosa 50 Dollar
coin depicts the Singapore coat of arms and Merlion with the name
Sentosa in English, Tamil and Chinese. The reverse depicts a
Concorde landing in Singapore with the Marina Bay Sands Resort in the
background. The Concorde was a supersonic airplane that
served Singapore between 1977 and 1980. The Concorde ceased
all operations in 2003. The Marina Bay Sands Resort was not
built until 2010. The 39mm silver plated brass coin
has a mintage of 125 pieces.OLD
UNCIRCULATED COINS OF
BRITISH SOUTH AFRICA
This
Brilliant Uncirculated three-coin set includes the bronze 1960
Farthing, 1957 Half Penny and 1958 Penny from South Africa.
They are some of the last coins of British South Africa. In
1961 the white minority government of South Africa declared itself a
republic and withdrew from the British Commonwealth. Young
Queen Elizabeth is on the obverse of all three coins. A pair
of Cape Sparrows perched on acacia branch is on the reverse of the
Farthing. The reverses of the Half and 1 Penny depict the
Dutch East India Company sailing ship Dromedaris. The ship,
under the command of Jan van Riebeeck, brought the first white settlers
to South Africa in 1652. All three coins have the name of the
country in both English and Afrikaans.
Ukraine
celebrated the 100th anniversary of its Navy with this 2018 10 Hryven
coin, which is impressive for a country that only gained independence
31 years ago. The Ukrainian Navy traces is founding to April
18, 1918. The commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, sensing the
mood of the majority of the Ukrainian seaman, officially proclaimed the
entire fleet in Crimea to be under control of the Ukrainian National
Congress and raised the Ukrainian flag. In 1921 it
was merged into the Soviet Navy. It was re-established after
Ukraine gained its independence following the collapse of the Soviet
Union in 1991. It lost most of its ships and its headquarters
in Sevastopol when Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. The obverse
of the 30mm copper-nickel-zinc coin includes the Ukraine Naval Flag,
the outline of a warship and the Ukraine national emblem. The
reverse features the number "100" incorporating naval insignia atop
stylized waves.
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