2016-02-05 Fri

Nobody would have ever imagined that the 165th anniversary of the publication of the legendary book Moby-Dick would be celebrated in such a grand or Whale-hearted way.

Pobjoy Mint has released uncirculated cupro-nickel and Proof .925 fine silver crown coins. Each of them depicts a sperm whale, the ferocious prey around which author Herman Melville had woven the gripping 1851 tale.

The story narrates the encounters of Capt. Ahab and his obsessive hunt for the albino sperm whale that destroyed his ship and ate his leg up to his knees during a previous voyage.

Today sperm whales, known for their peculiarly massive heads are considered as endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

The reverse of the coin features a sperm whale swimming in Antarctic waters with the sun shown setting behind the icebergs.

The obverse features a new effigy of Queen Elizabeth II that is used exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.

Both coins weigh 28.28 grams and measure 38.6 mm in diameter.