British Virgin Islands Ships: Golden Hind - 2022 Virenium® $1 Coin - BVI

After the incredible reaction to our 2020 and 2021 Tall Ships series, we are thrilled to announce the release of a brand new 6 coin series featuring ships connected to the British Virgin Islands. The first coin in this series features the famous English galleon the Golden Hind.

The design of the coin features the Golden Hind in all her glory sailing on open water and is available in Virenium®, a metal developed by Pobjoy Mint which is light gold in colour. This stunning coin will be presented in a Pobjoy Mint presentation pouch, with a special Collector’s Album available to house all coins in this series. The obverse of the coin features an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II produced exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.

*This coin is sold in a round capsule inside a blue pouch. If purchased with an album or pop-in presentation pack, no pouch will be supplied. If more than 14+ coins have been purchased, please note no pouches will be included and your coins will be dispatched in tubes.**

The Golden Hind was a galleon captained by Sir Francis Drake in his circumnavigation of the world from 1577 to 1580 becoming the first English ship to sail around the world. Originally named as Pelican, during her mid-voyage in 1578, Sir Francis Drake renamed her in honour of his patron, Sir Christopher Hatton. This was because his crest was a Golden Hind (a female red deer). Setting off in December 1577 at the request of HM Queen Elizabeth I, the voyage began with five ships and 164 men and reached the Brazilian coast in the spring of the following year. Having the Queen’s official support proved to be extremely beneficial, allowing Drake to cause maximum damage to the Spaniards; as a result, this culminated in the Anglo-Spanish war. Between 1577-1580 Drake sailed around the world on his epic voyage, bringing back a ship full of gold, silver, jewels and other treasures. Known as 'El Draco' or 'The Dragon' by the Spanish, he was feared and reviled by them. The Golden Hind could carry heavy loads, with a weight of up to 100tonnes, which proved to be highly advantageous on its journeys. This became useful in September 1579 when the Golden Hind challenged and captured the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de la Concepción. This galleon resulted in the largest treasure captured to date: over 360,000 Pesos. After her journeys, the Golden Hind was maintained for public exhibition in Deptford, making this the earliest recorded example of a ship being preserved for public display due to its historical significance. The galleon remained there for nearly 100 years before she eventually rotted away. Nowadays, the Golden Hind that can be seen in London is a replica of this historic ship.