2021 Solomon Islands Pirate Queens Anne Bonny 1oz Silver Coin NGC MS 70

This silver coin from the Royal Australian Mint is the first issue in the new “Pirate Queens” series. This coin is dedicated to Anne Bonny, one of the most legendary female pirates of the 18th century.

Anne Bonny was born in Ireland around 1700 and moved with her family to the American colonies of Great Britain – to Charles Town, now Charleston in the US state of South Carolina. Around 1715 she married an occasional pirate and moved to Nassau in the Bahamas, a legendary haven for pirates of all stripes even at the time.

In Nassau, Anne Bonny met pirate Calico Jack Rackham and became his business partner and lover. Because women were not welcome on board pirate ships, Anne Bonny disguised herself as a man. However, she did not always manage to keep up this facade: Anne Bonny is said to have stabbed a man in the heart who had accidentally discovered her true gender and complained about it.

After numerous acts of piracy, Anne Bonny and Calico Jack Rackham, along with their partner pirate Mary Read, were captured and sentenced to death in October 1720. Rackham died by hanging, but Bonny and Read escaped execution – both were pregnant at the time. Read nevertheless died of fever in prison in April 1721. Anne Bonny’s fate is uncertain, but it is said that thanks to her wealthy father’s influence as a plantation owner, she was released and returned to Charles Town.

This Anne Bonny silver coin stands out in particular due to its high minting quality in uncirculated condition. The circulation of this special coin is also limited to only 10,000 copies worldwide.

The motif side of the coin shows the pirate ship owned by Anne Bonny and her future husband John Rackham. At the bottom of the Anne Bonny silver coin is the distinctive mark of pirates, the skull with crossed sabers. In addition, the inscription “ANNE BONNY” and the fine weight and fineness “1 OZ 999 FINE SILVER” can be found in the upper area of the coin.

The value side of the coin shows the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and the inscription “ELIZABETH II”, the country of issue “SOLOMON ISLANDS”, the face value of “2 DOLLARS” and the year of issue “2021”.