I lived in Miami, Florida for several months back in the 1990's and one of my favorite things to do was to head over to the Bahamas for the great fishing and diving. A few months ago I shared a coin like this one that I picked up on a fishing trip when I was lucky enough to catch a marlin! I kind of got hooked on collecting the coin after that and have picked up several more over the years. The coin I'm sharing today I found in a coin shop in Miami not too long after that fishing expedition. This one is a much nicer specimen for a couple reasons, first off it's a proof mirror like finish. Secondly at this point the coins were being produced by The Franklin Mint which always produced beautiful coins!
About the coin:
Country: Commonwealth of the Bahama Islands
Mint: The Franklin Mint, Wawa, Pennsylvania, US
Denomination: 50 Cents
Mintage: 35,000
Finish: Proof
Composition: 80% silver/ 20% copper
Weight: 10.37 grams
Diameter: 29.01 mm
Thickness: 1.98 mm
Edge: Reeded
Engraver: Arnold Machin
Obverse: Elizabeth II
Reverse: Blue Marlin
I love the blue marlin design in this coin with the waves underneath, it's just a beautiful work of art. Another aspect that I like is the depiction of a young Queen Elizabeth II, it was just a nicer image that her later depictions(in my humble opinion anyway.) This was the last year that she graced the coin because in 1974 it was switched to the Bahama National arms. These are great coins to collect because they aren't real expensive and were produced by The Franklin Mint which always produced quality coins. Plus they are 80% silver!
Now for today's star of the show: the Atlantic blue marlin!
alchetron.com
What a beautiful fish!
roffs.com
They can jump clear out of the water!
The Atlantic blue marlin is found in tropical waters from Florida, the Caribbean, and down to the coast of Brazil. There range also crosses the Atlantic to the shores of Africa and at times they have been caught in the Indian Ocean. They spend most of their life out at sea far from land. The females grow up to four times longer than the males and the largest recorded fish was 818 KG (1,803 pounds) and 5 meters (16 feet 44 inches) in length. They use their long bill to hunt in schools of fish by stunning or impaling them and then returning to eat their prey. An adult marlin has few natural predators can live up to 27 years. As with most fish that are a top predators in the oceans they tend to build up a lot of mercury in their bodies just like tuna, so they shouldn't be eaten frequently.
The marlin are prized game fish as they are extremely strong and a challenge to catch and reel into the boat. There have been reported cases where local fishermen in small boats have been impaled and killed by marlins that jumped out of the water while they were attempting to reel in the fish. So I wouldn't recommend fishing for them with a small boat down near to water line! I have caught one before and it was one of the most exhausting fish I have ever fought, and it wasn't even a giant one! Afterwards we released it back into the ocean, I felt it would be a shame to kill such beautiful creature.
Unfortunately marlin around the world are under pressure from overfishing and being caught in long lines intended for tuna. Their meat is highly prized due to it's high fat content. As a result they are currently listed as a "vulnerable" species although they aren't a "protected" species yet. So if you get a chance to catch a marlin I recommend to catch it and release it back into the wild after the long, long fight! Fishing for marlin is a lot of fun but it sure is exhausting!
I hoped you enjoyed my post, I appreciate you taking the time to stop by! If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments please feel free to leave them below. Thanks again for all your support!
And my disclaimer:
Gold and silver stacking can be a fun hobby but isn't for everyone. You can lose money. I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, please always do your own research before spending your hard earned money.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_blue_marlin
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces19732.html
Re-blog lottery
Now for the winner of the re-blog lottery! Today we had people re-blog my post, thank you so much! You guy are the best! The people who re-blogged were:
@bitandi
@blitzzzz
@bntcamelo
@bulliontools
@caleb-marvel
@ericburgoyne
@flaxz.alive
@florakese
@fredaig
@ganjafarmer
@hdmed
@henruc
@hjrrodriguez
@ifarmgirl-leo
@irfanmustafa
@jenam
@jhonnygo
@jorgebgt
@kungfukid
@ladymisa
@matthew1
@maurojd
@miriammarga
@monsterbuster
@necho41
@olaf.gui
@rebe.torres12
@rosauradels
@stekene
@trautenberk
@vaynard86
@vrezion
@vrezyy
Voluntary daily reminder list for those who request to be on it: @ganjafarmer
If you want to be added to the list as well just feel free to ask!
Thank you everyone! I have been working to improve my engagement and all of you have really helped out! If you have any recommendations or suggestions please feel free to let me know. I'm always looking to improve my posts.
Good luck to everyone!
And the Wheel of Names results:
Congratulations @jorgebgt !
You will receive 3 HSBI!
Now for today's re-blog lottery! You just need to re-blog my post you will be placed on the Wheel of Names for a spin to possibly win 3 HSBI units! Just one prize for the lucky winner. An upvote is not required but is always greatly appreciated. Bots aren't allowed to win the prize. Contest ends at 14:00 (2 PM) California Pacific time tomorrow. If I somehow missed your re-blog please let me know and I'll add you to the next draw.
What are HSBI units? They are units that you can purchase to sponsor someone and you in turn receive a unit as well. This way we both benefit! They give you occasional upvotes on your posts for a lifetime, and the more you accumulate the more often you receive upvotes and the bigger they can be. You can read some more here:
https://hive.blog/hive-189312/@steembasicincome/hive-sbi
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
