BRITISH OVERSEAS TERRITORY OF BERMUDA
REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH II (1952-PRESENT) - HOUSE OF WINDSOR
GOLD BERMUDA TRIANGLE SERIES LIMITED ISSUE PROOF $180 COIN
THE WRECK OF THE SEA VENTURE
RARE ONLY 99 MINTAGE
GRADED BY NGC PROOF 67 ULTRA CAMEO
OBV: ELIZABETH II, ROPE BORDER.
REV: WRECK OF "THE SEA VENTURE" ON BERMUDA'S REEFS, ROPED AND KNOTTED BORDER.
KM # 103
BERMUDA IS THE OLDEST AND MOST POPULOUS OF BRITAIN'S OVERSEAS TERRITORIES AND WAS SETTLED IN 1612.
THE BERMUDAS, OR SOMERS ISLANDS IS AN ARCHIPELIGO WITH 138 ISLANDS IN NUMBER AND IS SURROUNDED BY THE NORTHERNMOST CORAL REEF IN THE WORLD.
DISCOVERED BY THE SPANISH IN 1505, AND USED BY SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE SHIPS TO REPROVISION, THE ISLANDS RECEIVED AN UNSAVORY REPUTATION AS THE ABODE OF EVIL SPIRITS EARNING THE NICKNAME "ISLE OF DEVILS".
THIS NICKNAME MOST LIKELY STEMMED FROM THE NOISES MADE BY STRANGE BIRDS AND WILD HOGS AT NIGHT, AND THE EVER PRESENT, DANGEROUS REEFS.
IN 1609, BRITISH ADMIRAL SIR GEORGE SOMERS, AT THE HELM OF HIS FLAGSHIP THE "SEA VENTURE", GOT CAUGHT IN A STORM AND RAN THE SHIP ON A REEF TO KEEP IT FROM FOUNDERING.
THIS BRAVE ACTION SAVED THE LIVES OF THE CREW AND PASSENGERS, AND LED TO BERMUDA BEING CLAIMED BY THE BRITISH CROWN, AND PERMANENTLY SETTLED IN 1612.
CONTAINS 155.5175 GRAMS OF .999 FINE GOLD (5 OZ AGW)
65 MM IN DIAMETER
ROYAL MINT FOR THE BERMUDA MONETARY AUTHORITY
THE WRECK AND DISAPPEARANCE OF NUMEROUS SHIPS AND AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA BETWEEN BERMUDA AND FLORIDA HAVE GIVEN RISE TO THE LEGEND OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE, AND THIS COIN COMMEMORATES NOT ONLY THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE COLONY'S FOUNDING BUT ALSO THE MYSTERIOUS AND TRAGIC FATE OF HAPLESS VOYAGERS.
