December 23, 2015 – Ship coins are one of the most popular collecting themes. No wonder that mints flood the market with new issues. To illustrate the volume of new issues: of the 955 designs narrated in the third volume, 35% relate to issues of the last 6 years (2006-2011). The remaining 65% relate to issues of the preceding 206 years (1800-2005).
Written by numisnautical researcher Yossi Dotan, “Watercraft on World Coins” is a three-volume catalog that narrates all modern ‘ship coins’ issued from 1800. The first volume includes the coins issued by European countries up to and including 2005; the second volume presents the coins of nations in the Americas and Asia until 2008; Volume III narrates the coins of countries in Africa and Oceania up to 2011.
Yossi Dotan, Watercraft on World Coins. Eastbourne 2015. The Alpha Press. 460 pages and 770 coin images. Paperback. 24.6 x 17.1 cm. ISBN 978-1-898595-51-9. 49.50 U.S. dollars.
Within each continent, the coins are arranged alphabetically per country. Within a country, all coins with a common ship design are grouped under one heading. This applies, for example, to South African pennies and halfpennies, with legends in English or Afrikaans, which were issued by different British monarchs prior to independence. All of them depict the flagship of the Dutchman who established the trading and victualing station at the Cape of Good Hope that grew into the city of Cape Town. A general catalog treats all these coins as different types, while for a topical collector they constitute just one type. He or she can decide to collect all the coins grouped together or just one of the type.
Each listing is followed by a narrative, commencing with a detailed description of the design beyond the basics such as the country name and denomination. The side of the coin that depicts the watercraft is presented first.
The description is followed by vital statistics of the ship, her history and her fate; background information about the persons depicted and their relevance to the ship; and particulars about the event commemorated by the coin. Other aspects of the design, such as bridges, buildings, aircraft, masks, and sculptures shown on the coins, are described as well, and the edge inscription is stated. Where available, the painting or lithograph is named after which the design was modeled.
Black-and-white illustrations are presented in the catalog for about 80 per cent of the designs. The illustrations are all crown sized, most of them having been enlarged so that the designs appear to full advantage. The actual diameter of the coin is stated near the image.
About the author: Yossi Dotan is a numisnautical researcher, a recognized expert in modern coins depicting watercraft. Since retirement after a 46-year career with a major firm of certified public accountants, he has devoted himself to researching ships and coins, and writing the narratives for this book. He is a contributor to the Standard Catalog of World Coins. In recognition of his non-numismatic volunteer service, Queen Beatrix of The Netherlands has made him a Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
For placing an order for a copy of the book, please visit the publisher’s website.