The weekend is finally here! Unfortunately it a bit a rainy today, but at least it's not snowing and freezing cold so I really can't complain. Today I thought I might share something that the orchid lovers out there will like, and the pirate ship lovers too! This silver coin is actually pretty special, not many were ever produced and it's a really pretty piece of silver. So without further ado have a look:
About the coin:
This coin was produced by the Franklin Mint in Wawa, Pennsylvania using sterling silver (92.5% silver.) However only 393 were minted making them extremely hard to find (and expensive.) That's what makes this coin so special! I picked this one up in Miami in the 90's at a small coin shop and it wasn't expensive at all. They must not have looked it up before putting it up for sale because it was a great deal! Current auctions are usually $900 US or more.
The design is also very well done with the coat of arms on the obverse displaying Christopher Columbus' ship on his fourth voyage to the new world. He sailed along the coast of what is now Costa Rica and most of Central America. The reverse of the coin has the country's national flower which is the Guaria Morada orchid with some light blue oxidation. Just a beautiful coin! It's a great collector's item if you can find a good price! This is one of my older photos since I gifted this particular coin to my step daughter several years ago, and she loves it!
Costa Rica has held Columbus in very high regard even naming their currency after him, the Colon (Spanish for Columbus.) Just a few days ago shared another coin with Columbus himself on it if you are interested, I'll add a link below if you want to check it out.
The Guaria Morada is the Costa Rican national flower and it's a beautiful choice. It's also known as cattleya skinnier or the Easter orchid. It grows throughout Central America and southern Mexico. It prefers tropical forests above 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) and has anywhere from five to twelve large flowers. In the references I've left a link to an excellent site that has just about all you need to successfully grow them for the orchid lovers here on Hive. I know there are quite a few including 
That will do it for my post today, I hope you enjoyed it! If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments fell free to leave them below. Thanks for stopping by and for all of your support!
The link I promised earlier:
Columbus Exposition Coin
P.S. And since I am posting in the #freecompliments community I just wanted to remind everyone to take some time today to be kind. A little kindness can make a huge difference in someone's life. Please check out the community and consider joining us!
And my disclaimer:
Gold and silver collecting and 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.
All pictures are mine unless otherwise noted.
References:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces188127.html
https://costarica.org/facts/guaria-morada/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Rica
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus#Voyages
https://www.chadwickorchids.com/content/cattleya-skinneri
Re-blog lottery
Now for the winner of the re-blog lottery! Today we had 31 people who re-blogged my post, thank you so much! The people who re-blogged were:
Voluntary daily reminder list for those who request to be on it: 
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:
Winner #1:
Winner #2:
Congratulations 
Congratulations
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 up to 5 HSBI units! New twist, one winner on the first spin wins 3 HSBI, and a second spin for a chance for 2 HSBI, so two possible winners or one really lucky one could win both spins! An upvote is not required but is always greatly appreciated. Bots aren't allowed to win the prizes. 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:
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
If you enjoy collecting or want to learn more about silver and gold why not join us #silvergoldstackers
If you know would like to know how to help support new individuals on Hive ask about the HOC!
