While The Storm Crow remains anchored off the lush Pacific Island of Samoa. We can afford a little back tracking to a delightful coin made by the Scottsdale mint. Did Samoa claim the discovery of the mythical Mermaid in her waters? With a Lawn chair, electric fan, and a spray bottle of salt water in hand, let’s give this special guest a call.
“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven
Today I'll be interviewing Hive's Precious Metals community's mascot and her claim as the model for various coins including the Scottsdale Mermaid series.
"For the last few millennia she traveled the seven seas, from the Egyptian Nile delta to the Amazonian headwaters, the Atlantic ocean to the Pacific, and from the south China sea to the Indian Ocean, the youngest daughter of Neptune and ..."
"Ahem." The woman was in her bipedal form, drying her long locks of Auburn hair, tying them up before wrapping the towel around her bare curvy hips.
Her shimmery metallic blue scaled halter top exquisitely frames around an old Spanish necklace dangling a Samoan coin.
"Welcome aboard the Storm Crow Redux Precious." I directed her to the two recliners placed at mid-ships but the guest’s gaze shifted to the tub.
"Thank you for the invitation to come aboard your imaginary sailing ship Raven. Very good, the hot tub is a nice feature. I like this."
“It’s a permanent feature of my ship from now on.” I cue the crewman to move the drinks to the tub before joining her, "What brings you to the lovely island of Samoa?"
The Silver Tala
"Business, pleasure, and the shiny to keep things simple. Even an enchanted creature like me enjoys some downtime. The business is for the gentlemen of Scottsdale mint and the Central bank of Samoa. I get to do a little modeling on the side, Samoa expands their M1 economy, Scottsdale earns a bit of paper thingies to expand their operating capital and I get a few new shiny coins for my time. It's a nice deal. I love shiny coins and collected them from hundreds of shipwrecks over the centuries. I will show you one day. So, for now a little publicity with your readers and all my adoring fans out there in the Stacking world. And 'Hi Mom!'"
"Then we must get to the feature of today's post, the 2021 Samoan Pacific Mermaid. A lovely design, the concept fits well within the context of maritime cultures all around the world and a part of my own personal collection as well. Please tell us your thoughts of this coin Precious. "
"That was my first official gig. Their photographic devices don't work around me or any mermaids as a security enchantment. So, an artist was called upon to our beach location, Then with the local Samoan model and an outrigger, struck a few hot poses, and wrapped things up with a wild dinner party in the end of the day. I apologized again about summoning a few deep sea friends in on the gig, a Fangtooth and Viperfish . The Scottsdale official thought it was a great idea granting me free artistic expression and at the same time kept the model's hands off my tail!"
"So you have pets that accompany you?"
Her eyes rolled and her voice had a slight tinge of sarcasm, "Yes and no, the fish friends were just in the area. The family pet sometimes tags along with me because all my siblings are far too busy tending to their own matters."
Precious cups her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Octopoo! You still here?"
With her right hand thumb she counted off the other fingers, 4, 3, 2, 1, before pointing her thumb up.
There was a disturbance under the Storm Crow for a minute before the ship rocked, creaked, then rose gently some five feet above her waterline, the ship settles back down unharmed. A large tentacle laid unto the quarterdeck for a moment then slid back over the side.
My eyes shifted back to her, "The Kraken?"
"Kraken junior. Papa wanted me to take the puppy on an outing for some exercise. "
For our Bonus Bullion
Precious was definitely enjoying the spacious hot tub, this time her tail rather than her feet stretching out of and back under the soothing bubbly warm water.
"What about the earlier coin, the 2018 Fiji Mermaid Rising? How did that coin come about? The figure in the water doesn't appear like you on the coin.”
"I just had a few days fun sneaking aboard another wonderful cruise ship. There seems to be so many of them this time of year. I was just basking in the water having fallen victim to that all-you-can-eat-seafood-buffet... when a yacht simply drifted close and I opened my eyes to a young pre-teen boy drawing me on a sketch pad. Mind you one of my abilities is that my appearance changes in accordance to the observer's age." I handed the coin to her as a reference; she cradles it on her palm.
"Yes, that's the younger looking me. An age appropriate mermaid even though I'm a few thousand years old. It was a few years later a large boat with a mermaid flag came looking for me. After a slight misunderstanding, some apologies, and a dozen of these coins as a peace offering we were able to come to an agreement."
"Yes, they gave me my own postal box, granted an honorary Samoan citizenship, a guarantee for another gig for the 2022, and a dozen brand new shiny 2021 coins appeared in my mail four weeks after. My Papa was impressed. Then, I stashed them in my secret sunken ship."
"2022, Scottsdale is late since they had shut down over the long pandemic but they have expanded minting operations during that time having tripled it's production capacity. They've been making up for lost ground. "
"And my likeness will be famous among the humans though we rather remain as mythical entities in the eyes of a human's world. If I am correct, the 2022s should be out now. I'm sure you'll love them. It's my best side."
Precious lifted her drink to her lips but hesitated. Her brow furled and large doe eyes constricted slightly, akin to a cold stare , some of the water snakes above the surface then freezing, twirled in her drink. The ice stick reforms into a cube before dropping back into the beverage.
It was a reminder that mermaids are able to control the elements of nature; water, air, fire and such. Hydrokenesis; the flow and movement of water was the most common skill learned and mastered by most Merfolk. Cryokenesis was freezing of water. There were seven categories and rarest was Atmoskenesis; the ability to control all the elements with all seven forms. Even after having known Precious for many years, the always giddy mermaid never revealed the full extent of her true powers.
In 1802 the Bloody Raven met Precious prior to the inevitable confrontation with the Spanish warship El Condora. The aging crew and ship could no longer fight effectively as in their prime, this may as well be her last stand.
But by recovering the Mermaid's beloved necklace the act sealed a bond of friendship between the two. Precious returns the favor by chilling the humid tropical air blanketing the entire Indonesian strait with a heavy fog giving the crew of the old Storm Crow a fighting chance.
And for you Paper currency people
An egg timer buzzes, I instantly threw it overboard. “According to the meter we’ve maxed this post’s word count so we’ll have to conclude this interview with a quick Know-your-Mermaid Q & A. Are you ready Precious?”
“Let’s do it Raven, I’m a busy Mermaid.” Nodded Precious.
"You have a favorite Crypto?"
"Dive tokens, Dive Backed Dollars."
"Favorite Community?"
"Mermaids of Dive."
"Favorite Discord server?"
"Gnomes and Merfolk network server. There’s a great drama happening with Emma, Fred, Nerffin, Gwen and the Gnome community and to let you know we Merfolk are ready to lend a hand or fin if needed."
"Favorite Mint?"
"Scottsdale Mint."
“Do you know where the Scottsdale Mint is?”
“Nope, is it close to Atlantis?”
"Favorite silver coin?"
"Spanish Pillar 8 Reales."
"Favorite color?"
"Blue."
"And the new 2022 Mermaid Princess of the Sea silver coin?"
"You'll love it, buy some!" 👍
Adding Shiny Silver to my Stack for that big stormy day!
The #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain @stokjockey for #silvergoldstackers pirates to proudly showcase their shiny booty and plunder for all to see. Landlubbers arrrh… welcomed to participate and be a Pirate at heart so open yer treasure chests an’ show us what booty yea got!
Sailing Log of the Storm Crow Posts
2023 Samoa $2 Golden Eagle Silver Coin.
2018 St. Lucia $2 Silver Dollar Flamingos.
1974 Jamaica $10 Sir Henry Morgan Commemorative.
1977 Bermuda $25 Silver Jubilee Silver coin.
1977 Cook Islands $5 Atui Swiftlet Silver Commemorative.
1974 Cayman Islands $2 Blue Heron Silver Commemorative.
References
Sources and Readings
Still Unfold.com; 15 Facts about Mermaids
Scottsdale Mint; Pacific Mermaid.
Numista; PACIFIC MERMAID.
Scottsdale Mint; Mermaid Rising.
Numista; 2018 Fiji 1 Dollar Mermaid Rising.
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe.
Numista; 1974 $1 Dollar P#71a Banknote.
Beaucraft Vintage Sterling Silver Galleon Broach, Beaucraft.
Map Background; Reader’s Digest Illustrated Great World Atlas, ISBN 0-89577-988-9, Pg. 137
