Category : Science and Education
Archive   : SHIPS.ZIP
Filename : SHIPS.TXT

SHIPS-ON-COINS (AND MEDALS!): A "Want List" for Collectors

(Copyright NumisNet[SM] 1989)



Tired of collecting by type? Has a paucity of politicians' portraits or a
dearth of diverse denominations brought your coin and/or medal collecting to a
standstill?

Well...perhaps you should try collecting by "topic" instead! YOU pick the
topic--chances are, at some point in time, somewhere on this planet, some
sovereign government (or private concern) has minted coins (or medals, or
printed currency) depicting that very topic!

Take "ships," for example. Countries heavily dependent upon ocean-going
vessels for defense or revenue (or both!) have, over the centuries, minted
a vast and surprisingly diverse array of coins and medals depicting ships:
everything from "3-masters" to steamships. The following list is illustrative
of their output.

This list is DELIBERATELY incomplete! Part of the "thrill of the hunt" is,
after all, the quest for clues as to the whereabouts of one's quarry. If
you should lose sight of your quarry, you might want to borrow or buy one or
more of the following references:


* Christopher Eimer's BRITISH COMMEMORATIVE MEDALS AND THEIR VALUES.
* Milford Haven's BRITISH NAVAL MEDALS; also, his NAVAL MEDALS OF
FOREIGN COUNTRIES...(2 parts).
* R. W. Julian's MEDALS OF THE UNITED STATES MINT....
* Krause Publications' STANDARD CATALOG OF WORLD COINS.
* Mueller-Reichau's NAVES IN NUMMIS (2 parts).
* R. Obojski's SHIPS AND EXPLORERS ON COINS.

Happy Hunting!

[NOTE: The following abbreviations are used throughout this article:

IR =a coin type issued at IRREGULAR intervals during the time span
indicated
SUFS=a sailing vessel under full sails
OLT =an ocean liner (passenger ship) or tanker (cargo ship) of the
modern era)

All dates are A.D. unless otherwise noted.]



*******
COINS *
*******

COUNTRY DENOMINATION DATE(S) DESCRIPTION
******* ************ ******* ***********

Anguilla 4 Dollars 1969-70 SUFS "Atlantic Star;"
proof-only; almost 1 oz.
of .999 silver!

Argentina 5 Pesos 1961-68 Training SUFS "Presidente
Sarmiento"

Austria 500 Schilling 1984 OLT "Vorarlberg"

Bahamas Penny 1806 SUFS
1807 (proof-only)
25 Cents 1966-70 Sloop
10 Dollars 1973 Sloop; almost 1.5 oz. of
.925 silver!
50 Dollars 1967,71-72 Sloop; over 0.5 oz. of
.917 gold!
1000 Dollars 1983 "America's Cup Challenge;"
proof-only; over 1 oz. of
.900 gold!

Baltic States Kroon 1934 Viking SUFS
(ESTONIA)

Barbados 100 Dollars 1975 SUFS

Bermuda Penny 1793 SUFS
25 Dollars 1977 SUFS; over 1.5 oz. of
.925 silver
50 Dollars 1977 Sailboat
100 Dollars 1977 Sailing vessel w/furled sails

Brazil 200 Reis 1932 SUFS
2000 Reis 1900 SUFS

British 100 Dollars 1980 SUFS; proof-only
Virgin
Islands

Canada 10 Cents 1937- SUFS "M.V. Bluenose"
1 Dollar 1949 John Cabot's flagship,
"Matthew"
1987 Brigg "Sun"--on "400th Anniv.
of Davis' 3rd NW Passage
Expedition"
5 Dollars 1973 XXI Olympiad; sailboats
(New Half-Penny 1843,1854 Sailing vessel w/furled sails
Brunswick)

Cayman 25 Cents 1972- SUFS; almost all issues
Islands proof-only

Chile Diez (10) Pesos 1968 Naval squadron of Lord
Cochrane; almost 1.5 oz.
of .999 silver!

China 1 Dollar 1932-35 Junks under full sails
(REPUBLIC)

China 5 Yuan 1983 SUFS
(PEOPLE'S 100 Yuan 1983 SUFS
REPUBLIC)

Cook 1 Dollar 1970 H.M.S. "Endeavour"--on "200th
Islands Anniv. of Cook's Voyage"
2 1/2 Dollars 1973-74 SUFS--on "Cook's 2nd Pacific
Voyage;" almost 1 oz. of
.925 silver!
7 1/2 Dollars 1973-74 SUFS--on "Discovery of
Hervey Islands"
100 Dollars 1975 SUFS

Comoro 100 Francs 1977 Fishing cutter
Islands

Cuba 5 Pesos 1981 3 different varieties,
depicting "Nina," "Pinta,"
and "Santa Maria"
1982 Ernest Hemingway's
fishing boat!

Cyprus 5 Mils 1963-81(IR) 6th-century merchant ship
100 Mils 1955,1957 As above

Danish 20 Cents 1859-79(IR) SUFS
West Indies

Djibouti 10 Francs 1965-77(IR) Arabian dhow foreground;
(FRENCH OLT background
SOMALILAND; 20 Francs 1952-77(IR) As above
AFARS & ISSAS)

British East 5 Cents 1955-65(IR) SUFS
Caribbean 10 Cents " "
Territories 25 Cents " "
10 Dollars 1980-81 Sir Frances Drake's flagship,
the "Golden Hind"

Egypt 1 Pound A.H.1401 OLTs transiting Suez Canal
(A.D.1981)

[NOTE: 116 years earlier, in 1865, TOKENS were used as currency by
employees of many of the companies involved in the Canal's
construction. The 50-Centimes and 5-Francs tokens depicted either
ancient Egyptian or 19th-century SUFS, while the 1-Franc token
depicted a 19th-century SUFS.]

Falkland 50 Pence 1983 SUFS
Islands

Fiji Islands Shilling 1934-65(IR) Outrigger
50 Cents 1975-83(IR) Outrigger

Finland 5 Markkaa 1972- Icebreaker

Gambia 1 Penny 1966 Native SUFS

German States

[NOTE: For over 2 centuries, the various "German States"--including
Swiss "cantons"--produced an attractive and diverse array of
"city-view" talers (dollar-size silver coins). Since many of the
cities and cantons which minted these talers were sited on rivers
or harbors, their "city-view" often included ships plying these
same rivers and harbors. Collectors interested in pursuing this
coinage more seriously would be wise to consult John Davenport's
GERMAN CHURCH AND CITY TALERS 1600-1700....]

Germany 5 Reichsmark 1927 "3-master"

Gibraltar Crown 1980 SUFS--on "175th Anniv. of
Nelson's Death;" almost
1 oz. of .925 silver;
proof-only
50 Pounds 1980 SUFS; almost 0.5 oz. of
.917 gold!

Great Half-Penny 1937-67 Sir Frances Drake's flagship,
Britain the "Golden Hind;" proof-only
issue in 1970

Guernsey 1 Pound 1983 SUFS

Haiti 5 Gourdes 1967-70 "Nina," "Pinta," and
"Santa Maria"
100 Gourdes 1977 Sailboat

Indonesia Gulden 1802 SUFS
(BATAVIAN
REPUBLIC)

Iraq Dinar 1973 OLT

Isle of Crown 1979,1982 SUFS; '82 also in OLT variety
Man

[NOTE: There are 20 different varieties of this denomination, in four
different metals! (This also is true of the 50-Pence which follows!)
The silver version contains almost 1 oz. of .925 silver. The gold
version contains over 1 oz. of .917 gold. The platinum version
contains over 1.5 oz. of .950 platinum.]

50 Pence 1971-84 Viking "longship" (also
appears on bullion issue,
the "Noble")
1981 Christmas issue; SUFS
5 Pounds 1988 Fishing vessel

Israel 10 Sheqalim 1982- Ancient galley "after a
Hasmonean drawing"
5 Lirot (Pounds) 1963 Ancient galley

Italy 500 Lire 1958-82(IR) SUFS

Jamaica 10 Dollars 1974-77 SUFS
20 Dollars 1972 SUFS

Jersey 2 Pounds 1972 SUFS

Kiribati 1 Dollar 1979 Native SUFS

Korea(South) 5 Won 1966-83(IR) Native oar-driven vessel

Kuwait Fils 1961-79(IR) Arabian dhow
5 Fils 1961-80(IR) "
10 Fils " "
20 Fils " "
50 Fils 1961-79(IR) "
100 Fils " "
2 Dinars 1976 "

Lebanon 2 Piastres 1925 Native oar-driven vessel
5 Piastres 1925-61(IR) As above

Liberia 5 Dollars 1973-82(IR) SUFS
12 Dollars 1965 SUFS; proof-only
20 Dollars 1964 SUFS

Maldive 25 Rufiyaa A.H.1398 Fishing vessel
Islands (A.D.1978)

Malta 10 Cents 1972-81(IR) Fishing boat
1 Pound 1977-79(IR) "
2 Pounds 1975-81(IR) "
4 Pounds 1975 "
10 Pounds 1975-76 "
20 Pounds 1975 "
50 Pounds 1975-77 "
100 Pounds 1977 "

Malta 10 Grani 1978-79 Oar-driven native SUFS;
(Order of) 9 Tari 1978-79 both are MEDALLIC issues

ZEELAND 6 Stuivers 1750-93(IR) SUFS; denomination also
(Netherlands) known as "scheepjesschelling"

Netherlands 25 Cents 1941-43 Viking longship

Netherlands 25 Gulden 1976 SUFS
Antilles

New Caledonia 10 Francs 1967-79(IR) Melanesian pirogue

New Zealand 50 Cents 1967-83 H.M.S. "Endeavour"
1 Dollar 1970 SUFS

Norway 5 Kroner 1975 Sloop "Restauration"

Pakistan 5 Pice 1961 Native SUFS
5 Paisa 1961-74 As above

Poland 5 Zlotych 1936 3-master "Dar Pomorza"
20 Zlotych 1980 SUFS

[NOTE: Poland issues almost as many "patterns"--geared solely to
collectors--as it does regular circulating coinage. More of these
patterns depict ships than do circulating coinage--see, for example:
1936 klippe 5-Zlotych (SUFS); 1958 5- and 10-Zlotych (OLT); 1960
5-Zlotych (OLT); 1980 100-Zlotych (SUFS); 1982 500-Zlotych (SUFS).]

(Danzig) Half-Gulden 1923,1927 Galley
2 Gulden 1923,1932 "
5 Gulden 1935 "

Portugal 2 1/2 Escudos 1932-82(IR) 16th-century SUFS
5 Escudos " "
10 Escudos 1932-74(IR) "

Qatar Dirhem A.H.1393 Native SUFS
(A.D.1973) "
5 Dirhems 1973-78(IR) "
10 Dirhems 1972-73 "
25 Dirhems 1973-81(IR) "
50 Dirhems 1973-78(IR) "

St. Helena 25 Pence 1973 17th-century SUFS
1980 OLT

St. Kitts 20 Dollars 1982 SUFS doing battle
& Nevis

St. Pierre Franc 1948 Schooner
& Miquelon 2 Francs 1948 Schooner

Senegal 50 Francs 1975 Native SUFS

[NOTE: In 1920, the Dakar Chamber of Commerce issued TOKENS depicting
SUFS. These were issued in denominations of 5-, 25- and 50-Centimes.]

Singapore 10 Dollars 1975 OLT at dock


South Africa Half-Penny 1923-60 SUFS
(Union of) Penny " "
5 Shillings 1952 "

Spain 25 Centimos 1925 SUFS

Sweden 2 Kronor 1938 SUFS

Tonga Pa'anga 1981 Native SUFS

Trinidad 10 Dollars 1982 SUFS
& Tobago

Tunisia Dinar 1969 Phoenician oar-driven SUFS

Tuvalu 10 Dollars 1979 SUFS

Fujairah 5 Riyals 1969-70 SUFS; proof-only; a most
(UNITED interesting piece, inasmuch
ARAB EMIRATES) as it commemorates APOLLO XII !

United
States

[NOTE: SUFS are depicted on a wide variety of American exonumia--
see, for example: "Pitt" tokens of 1766; Rhode Island "Ship Token" of
1779; "North American" token of 1781; "Talbot Alum & Lee Cents" of
1794-95.]

50 Cents 1892 "Columbian Expo" commem.;
"Santa Maria"
1920-21 "Pilgrim" commem.; "Mayflower"
1924 "Huguenot-Walloon" commem.;
"Nieu Nederland"
1935 "Hudson" commem.; "Half Moon"
1936 "Long Island" commem.;
Dutch SUFS
1936 "Delaware" commem.; "Kalmar
Nyckel"

Western Tala 1972,1979 SUFS
Samoa 10 Tala 1979 SUFS

South Arabia 25 Fils 1964 Arabian dhow
(YEMEN DEM. 50 Fils 1964 As above
REPUBLIC)



Lest the above lead you to believe that ships are fairly modern subject matter
for coinage, keep in mind that many of the city-states of the Ancient World
(Rome included) had to IMPORT a large percentage of their foodstuffs. Ships
played a crucial role in this commerce, a fact reflected by the frequency of
ships as a "type" on local coinage.

Ships also, of course, played an extremely important role in defense, a fact
reflected on the coinage of such "would-be-kings" as Allectus. For reasons
both of commerce and defense, then, the ship "motif" recurs on Roman Imperial
coinage as late as the reign of Theodosius I.

Greek Imperial coinage (provincial coinage of the Roman Empire) is especially
well-represented by the ship motif: either a prow alone (Smyrna and Samos,
for example), or--more often--an oar-driven SUFS.

Richard Plant's GREEK COIN TYPES AND THEIR IDENTIFICATION depicts a number of
ship motifs (line drawings #2234-2298), and is an excellent introduction to
the type as respects Ancient Greek coinage. David Sear's ROMAN COINS AND
THEIR VALUES and GREEK IMPERIAL COINS AND THEIR VALUES are excellent
introductions to the type as respects Roman and Greek Imperial coinage.

Although we've not done a scientific analysis of the matter, we would
"guesstimate"--based on more than a quarter-century's collecting experience--
that for every example of ships-on-COINS there are AT LEAST ten (10) examples
of ships-on-MEDALS! This is an ideal situation for the collector, both
because medals are generally less expensive than coins, and also because medals
generally afford engravers more space within which to work their artistry.

To give you an idea of what's available on medals, we've listed below a few of
the medals issued by just TWO countries--the U.S. and Great Britain--on which
ships are a MAJOR part of the design element. Hopefully, this admittedly
brief corpus will stimulate your appetite for a more thorough investigation
of your own...!

We list the U.S. first because its seafaring tradition is much younger than
Great Britain's, as a consequence of which its "ships-on-medals" are fewer....

[NOTE: Dates given below are the dates depicted on the medals themselves,
and NOT the actual date of minting, which often occurred many years after
the person(s) or event(s) commemorated!]


***************
UNITED STATES *
***************

DATE PERSON(S)/EVENT(S) DESCRIPTION
**** ****************** ***********

1779 Capt. John Paul Jones "Vessels of the Enemy Captured or
Put to Flight"

1800 Capt. Thomas Truxtun Naval engagement

1804 Commodore Edward Prebble U.S. warships firing on Tripoli

1812 Capt. William Bainbridge Battle between U.S. warship
"Constitution" and British warship
"Java"

1812 Capt. Stephen Decatur, Jr. Battle between U.S. warship "United
States" and British warship "Macedonia"

1812 Capt. Isaac Hull Battle between U.S. warship
"Constitution" and British warship
"Guerriere"

1812 Capt. Jacob Jones Battle between U.S. warship "Wasp"
and British warship "Frolic"

1813 Lt. William Burrows Battle between U.S. warship
"Enterprise" and British warship
"Boxer"

1813 Master Commandant Battle between U.S. and British fleets
Jesse Elliott

1813 Capt. James Lawrence Battle between U.S. warship "Hornet"
and British warship "Peacock"

1813 Lt. Edward R. McCall Battle between U.S. warship
"Enterprise" and British warship
"Boxer"

1813 Master Commandant Defeat of British fleet on Lake Erie
Oliver H. Perry

1814 Capt. Johnston Blakely Battle between U.S. warship "Wasp"
and British warship "Reindeer"

1814 Lt. Stephen Cassin Battle between U.S. and British fleets

1814 Lt. Robert Henley Battle between U.S. and British fleets

1814 Master Commandant Defeat of British fleet on Lake
Thomas Macdonough Champlain

1814 Capt. Lewis Warrington Battle between U.S. warship "Peacock"
and British warship "Epervier"

1815 Capt. James Biddle Capture of British warship "Penguin"
by U.S. warship "Hornet"

1815 Capt. Charles Stewart Battle between U.S. warship
"Constitution" and British warships
"Cyane" and "Levant"

1846 Loss of the "Somers" Sinking of "Somers" off Vera Cruz
during Mexican-American War

1853/54 Cmdr. Duncan Ingraham U.S. sloop-of-war "St. Louis" and
Austrian brig-of-war "Hussar" in
harbor of Smyrna, Turkey

1867 Cyrus Field SUFS laying 1st Trans-Atlantic
telegraph cable

1874 Vessel Owners' and Sailors being rescued from sinking
Captains' Association SUFS
of Philadelphia



Astute readers will have noticed that most U.S. medals depicting ships were
issued to commemorate events associated with the War of 1812. The enemy in
this war--Great Britain--issued very few medals associated with the same war
(probably because few nations issue medals commemorating their DEFEATS!).


However, Great Britain's seafaring tradition, being many centuries older than
that of the United States, has given rise to a vaster and more diverse array
of naval medals, as the following list makes quite clear....


***************
GREAT BRITAIN *
***************

DATE PERSON(S)/EVENT(S) DESCRIPTION
**** ****************** ***********

1588 Defeat of Spanish Armada Spanish fleet in distress
(several different medals!)

1596 Defeat of Attempted Spanish fleet in distress
Invasion by Spain

1630 "Dominion of the Sea" SUFS


1639 Spanish fleet destroyed Battle between Dutch and Spanish fleets
by Dutch off Dover

1639 "Dominion of the Sea" SUFS

1653 Naval Reward Naval engagement

1654 Peace between England British and Dutch frigates sailing
and Holland side-by-side

1660 Charles II, Embarkation Fleet under sail
at Scheveningen

1660 Charles II, Landing at SUFS
Dover

1665 Naval Victory against Naval engagement
Holland

1665 Naval Action against Naval engagement within harbor
Holland

1666 Proposed Commercial Sea-lanes crowded with shipping
Treaty with Spain

1667 Peace with Holland British and Dutch SUFS sailing
side-by-side

1682 Duke of York, Shipwrecked SUFS in distress off rocky coast
off Yorkshire Coast

1687 Spanish Wreck Recovered SUFS searching for treasure

1688 Landing of William III Fleet at anchor
at Torbay

1690 Arrival of William III Fleet approaching coast
in Ireland

1691 Return of William III Fleet off Dutch coast
to Holland

1692 Battle of La Hogue French SUFS sinking
(several different medals)

1694 French Coast Bombarded British fleet firing on French coastal
defenses

1697 Fortunes of Prince James SUFS in stormy seas

1702 Expedition to Vigo Bay British and Dutch fleets attacking
French and Spanish fleets

1705 Barcelona Taken Fleet bombarding city

1708 Prince James(III), SUFS off coast
Restoration of Kingdom

1708 Attempted Invasion of SUFS "Salisburi" and fleet
Scotland

1709 Capture of Tournay Spanish SUFS in heavy seas

1727 Gibraltar Beseiged by Spanish fleet bombarding Gibraltar
Spanish Fleet

1734 Wier Built at Hameln SUFS on river Weser

1739 Capture of Portobello Naval engagement
(several different medals)

1740 Fort Chagre Taken 6 SUFS entering Portobello harbor

1741 Carthagena Taken 2 SUFS entering harbor

1742 Proposed Attack on Havana 4 SUFS entering harbor

1742 Spanish Galleons Destroyed SUFS attacking moored galleons

1745 Capture of French Treasure Naval engagement
Ships "Marquis d'Antin" and
"Louis Erasme"

1758 Louisburg Taken Shore batteries firing at fleet

1761 Belleisle Taken SUFS around island

1772 Capt. Cook's 2nd Voyage 2 frigates viewed from astern
to the Pacific

1779 Naval Action off Naval engagement
Flamborough Head

1781 Capture of St. Eustatius Naval engagements
(several different medals)

1781 Battle of Dogger Bank Dutch SUFS firing at departing British
SUFS

1782 Great Siege of Gibraltar SUFS w/battering rams!

1783 Blockade of Gibraltar SUFS in bay of Gibraltar

1794 Battle of 1st of June Lord Howe's flagship, "Charlotte,"
sinking French SUFS

1796 Naval Engagement off British Lion running amok on
Helvoetsluys dismasted ship

1796 London Missionary Society SUFS

1797 Battle of Camperdown Starboard quarter-view of "Monarch"
(several different medals)

1797 Battle of Cape St. Vincent Spanish SUFS under attack

1797 French Expedition to Bantry 3 SUFS in stormy seas
Bay

1798 Battle of the Nile Bird's-eye view of British fleet
(several different medals)

1798 Naval Action off Fleet at sea
Tory Island

1799 King Ferdinand IV SUFS entering bay of Naples
Re-Established at Naples

1799 Siege of Acre British SUFS in bay of Acre

1805 Battle of Trafalgar Bird's-eye view of British fleet
(several different medals)

1816 Bombardment of Algiers Naval engagement

1825 Destruction of the East "Kent" in flames
Indiaman "Kent"

1827 Completion of Gloucester Partially-rigged SUFS
and Berkeley Canal

1831 New Channel to Newport SUFS in channel
Opened

1843 Launching of S.S. "Great Starboard view of "Great Britain"
Britain"

1844 London Missionary Society Missionary ship "John Williams"

1845 Passage of S.S. "Great Starboard view of "Great Britain"
Britain" from Bristol to
London

1846 Voyage of Junk "Keying" Starboard view of junk under sail

1846 Centenary of the Starboard view of SUFS
Lutterworth Benefit
Society

1848 Voyage of Junk "Keying" Starboard view of junk under sail
(several different medals)

1854 Sir Charles Napier Broadside view of SUFS

1858 Newport Dock Extension Panoramic view of ships at dock

1859 Death of Isambard Starboard view of "Great Eastern"
Kingdom Brunel

1861 The "Great Eastern" Starboard view....

1875 Samuel Owen Broadside view of paddle-steamer

1876 Joseph Turner; "Temeraire" under tow
Laudatory Medal

1894 Manchester Ship Canal Shipping on waterway
Opened

1896 London Missionary Society Missionary ship "Duff"
Centenary

1897 H.M.S. "Foudroyant" "Foudroyant" w/sails furled
Wrecked

1897 Conquest of Trinidad, SUFS at anchor in mole of Port of Spain
Centenary

1899 S.S. "Maine" Broadside view of S.S. "Maine"

1899 Launching of H.M.S. Starboard view....
"Vengeance"

1905 Launching of the "Katori" View of warship "Katori"

1907 Liverpool, 700th Anniv. Medieval ship obverse, 4-funnelled
of Foundation steamship reverse
(several different medals)

1912 Centenary of Steam Broadside view of steamship
Shipping in Europe

1912 "Titanic" Relief Fund Broadside view of 4-funnelled passenger
ship

1914 Bombardment of Coastal bombardment by 3 ships
Scarborough

1915 Sinking of S.S. Steamship sinking in heavy seas
"Lusitania"

1915 Manchester Manx Society Medieval longboat under sail

1915 Winston Churchill, 1st Single-funnel steamer
Lord of the Admiralty

1916 Victory of Jutland Bank Broadside view of battleship "Lion"

1925 Prince of Wales, Visit 17th-century SUFS
to Cape Town

1934 Launching of R.M.S. Passenger ship under steam
"Queen Mary"

1936 R.M.S. "Queen Mary" "Queen Mary" under steam
Commissioned

1968 R.M.S. "Queen Elizabeth," QEI under steam
Final Voyage

1969 R.M.S. "Queen Broadside view of QEII
Elizabeth II," Maiden
Voyage

1970 Pilgrim Fathers, 350th 17th-century SUFS
Anniversary



As we noted in our introduction, the foregoing are but a FEW of the many 1000's
of coins and medals which have been minted, over the centuries, with a
nautical motif. And we haven't even looked at TOKENS...! Or PAPER MONEY...!!
Or...!!!

Happy Hunting!