”Blackbirds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven
This little silver bullion coin was a gift from 
The Coin of that Scurvy Sea Dog
Though not at War with Spain for a good part of the 16th Century the moniker of Elizabeth’s Sea Dog’s was nickname by the Spanish to English privateers raiding and capturing Spanish shipping. While the crown of England can deny any business with these preying vessels the Spanish simply considered them as pirates and summarily executed them. One Captain that earned the most Spanish ire was that Francis Drake, later knighted as Sir Francis Drake. But he became to known by his victims as “El Dracque.”🦇
I’d rather admire the legendary ship than the man that arguably started England on the road to Naval superiority, but we can’t talk about the ship without mentioning the fellow himself.
2009 Solomon Islands $1 of the HMS Golden Hind
Drake was to lead the Expedition to explore the South American coast and the sea beyond the treacherous Straight of Magellan but also as a Privateer to inflict as much damage to the Spaniards as possible. No English ship have yet sailed beyond into Pacific waters. But Drake did see the Pacific from Panama years earlier and made it his personal goal to plunder the Spaniards.
Armed with a letter of Marque and the blessing of Queen Elizabeth I, aside of a weather related setback, Drake finally departs Plymouth aboard the Pelican with four accompanying ships and 164 men.
1973 London Replica of the Golden Hind by Jose L Marin under CCO 3.0
- Name: Pelican/Golden Hind
- Launch date: 1577
- Type: Galleon
- Tonnage: 120 Tons
- Displacement: 300 tons
- Length: 102 feet
- Beam: 20 feet
- Draught: 9 ft
- Compliment: 80-85
- Armament: 22 Guns
The other four ships were The Christopher, The Swan, The Elizabeth, and the Marigold.
On the Atlantic crossing Drake and his squadron had success attacking and plundering Spanish and Portuguese ships acquiring the Mary as Drake’s sixth Ship. However, the expedition suffered a severe attrition of able-bodied crew that by the time they made it to St Jullian Argentina they had no choice but to scuttle the Christopher, the Swan and their new acquisition the Mary. This left Drake down to three vessels to take refuge at St Jullian before negotiating the Straight of Magellan.
It was at this point Drake decided to rename Pelican to the Golden Hind in honor of his patron and voyage sponsor Sir Christopher Halton whose Crest was that of a golden hind, a female red deer.
2009 Solomon Islands $1 of the HMS Golden Hind
Emerging into the Pacific Ocean in September 1578 an encounter with stormy conditions led to the loss of the Marigold with all hands and the Elizabeth damaged and made the decision to return to England. Drake’s flagship, The Golden Hind was the remaining ship.
While pirates were common throughout the Spanish Main in the 16th Century, It was practically unheard of in the Pacific. Complacency gave way to total surprise to the Spaniards as Drake proceeded Northward along the South American coast attacking and pillaging unprotected Spanish towns.
At Peru’s main port of El Callao, Drake learned of a Panama bound treasure ship, the Cagafuego (Fireshitter) 😮, or formally known as the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción.
Bonus Keychain Coin
Some have you have likely seen this before as a pleasant gift from 
1966 United Kingdom Half Penny
Drake caught up with the heavily burdened Spanish treasure ship on March 1st 1579 off the coast of Ecuador. Under reduced sail and disguised as a Merchantman the Golden Hind pulled up along side and simply demanded that the Spanish Captain surrender. When Capitan San Juan de Antón refused, the Golden Hind loosed a broadside taking out the Cagafuego’s Mizzenmast before being boarded by the English attackers. The Spanish ship was taken totally by surprise and quickly surrendered.
It took a week to offload the wealth of the Cagafuego onto the Golden Hind at a secluded stretch of Ecuadorian shoreline. In that time Drake treated their prisoners well, gave gifts to the Officers and distinguished passengers of the Cagafuego along with a letter of safe passage before off loading his captives.
The Haul;
- 360,000 Pesos in coin.
- 26 Tons of Silver
- Half ton of gold
- Porcelain
- Jewelry
- Jewels
Drake continued North as far as Vancouver Island and then back south claiming a region of California he named as New Albion on behalf of Queen Elizabeth I. The Crew of the Golden Hind established a camp and resupplied there before the western crossing of the Pacific back to Plymouth England.
1966 United Kingdom Half Penny
The Golden Hind sails into Plymouth September 26, 1580, one ship with 59 crew remaining of the five ships with 164 men that started out December 1577.
With the treasures offloaded under guard at Trematon Castle, a ceremony on board the Golden Hind presided by Queen Elizabeth I to observe knighthood bestowed upon Sir Francis Drake.
As the key Sponsor the English Queen's share was £160,000 which paid off the government debt of £120,000. Other stakeholders and sponsors received an astounding return of £47 for each £1 invested. Meanwhile, Drake’s log with all of his personal notes were considered State secrets and the crew sworn to secrecy, perhaps the exception of circumventing the world as navigational achievement after all, Knighthoods are not just given out for nothing. Eventually, the Spaniards figured out who Sir El Dracgue's employer is.
The Bloody Raven's notes on this Golden Hind(e) Coin
This coin appears to be one of at least a 2009 Year set of three coins; HMS Beagle, HMS Warrior, and the HMS Golden Hinde.
The Numista rarity index quotes a 97, from common 1 to 100 rare. However, the HMS Warrior has a quoted low mintage of 5000 so I would assume the HMS Golden Hind would be the same.
Being a mere 0.6mm thickness I would tend to expect a few weak areas of the strike, but it was a remarkably consistent cameo strike all around.
Four tiny Toning spots on the Reverse only, two at 12 o’clock and two at 4. This doesn’t affect the grade but does distract in eye appeal.
I’d prefer the Ship being the dominant subject of the coin rather than sharing coin space with the Luckiest Sea Dog of a Captain that sailed the Seas.
Since I got this as a Christmas gift, it’s a keeper! Thank yea
Adding another Silver in my #piratesunday style stack.
Always adding Silver and Crypto to my Stack for that dark and stormy night!
The #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain 
The Bloody References
1. My own pictures shot with a Samsung SM-A530W
The Bloody Sources
PIRATES! National Geographic 2021 Special Publication ISSN 2160-7141, pp 8-10
Wiki: The Golden Hind ship
Wiki: Nuestra Señora de la Concepción
Wiki: Sir Francis Drake
2009 Solomon Island $1 HMS Golden Hind
1966 United Kingdom Half Penny
“Et lux in tenebris to serve laboro, sum sicarius” “I work in the shadows to serve the Light, I am an Assassin.”