APMEX has announced the first issue of the new East Central Caribbean Bank coin program – the Rum Runner. This inaugural release introduces a series of coins, known as the Eastern Caribbean 8, celebrating the eight islands in the Eastern Caribbean.
The EC8 coins are legal tender in their respective territories and are distributed by Scottsdale Mint. Each design will be released in four 1 oz coins – Silver BU, colorized Proof Silver, Gold BU and Gold colorized.
The 2018 Rum Runner coins are backed by Antigua and Barbuda, two islands that form one of the Eastern Caribbean countries. The other islands in the series are Anguilla, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Each release will feature stunning designs celebrating the unique culture and history of each island.
Antigua’s history of rum production dates back to the early 1700s when sugar was first introduced to the island and quickly became the main crop produced on its plantations. Throughout the Caribbean’s colonial period, competition for rum sales and for the security that armed ships brought with them was fierce among the English Caribbean planters. The Caribbean island governors supported selling rum to the Royal Navy in hopes of helping to keep the pirates at bay. Pirates often made extra money running rum to heavily taxed colonies in North America and the West Indies. As early as the 16th century, the British government employed “Revenue Cutters”, small lightweight single-sail vessels, to stop the pirates and smugglers.
The reverse of the 2018 Antigua and Barbuda 1 oz Silver Rum Runner coin depicts Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II along with the weight and purity. The obverse of each Rum Runner coin features an 18th-century ship heading out to sea with barrels of rum and a bottle in the foreground. All four issues have limited mintages with 25,000 Silver coins, 5,000 Gold coins, 2,500 colorized Silver coins and just 500 colorized Gold coins. You can shop these new releases available now at APMEX.
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About APMEX, Inc.
For more than 15 years, APMEX has been one of the nation’s largest Precious Metals e-retailers. In 2017, APMEX was recently ranked the #1 Specialty E-Retailer and #45 out of 500 e-retailers by Internet Retailer Magazine. APMEX has the largest selection of bullion and numismatic items provided by a retailer, boasting more than 10,000 products and shipping to all 50 U.S. states and Washington D.C. with 4.9 APMEX reviews rating from Shopper APPROVED. Product offerings include all U.S. Mint bullion such as Gold, Silver and Platinum American Eagle coins. APMEX also sells products from leading mints around the world including The Royal Mint, Perth Mint, Royal Canadian Mint and many others. APMEX is a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), the International Precious Metals Institute and the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA).For additional information, visit www.APMEX.com or call (800) 375-9006.
