It is the second week of March 2022. Would you believe... it will soon the end of the first quarter of the year!

The war on Ukraine by Russia is currently ongoing. It started on February 24. We pray that it will end soon. War is horrible!!! That's an understatement.

In the meantime, I continue to stack... with a purpose.

2022 Solomon Silver Pirate Queens - Mary Reed

The obverse features the pirate ship of Mary Read with hoisted flag. It is moving away from another ship, shown in the background, which was heavily damaged by cannon shots. Below the ship is the typical pirate emblem – a skull with two crossed infantry swords. The inscription “MARY READ”, the weight and the fineness complete the design. The reverse shows the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, the face value of $2 and the year of issue.

Source

This is the third and final issue of the Pirate Queens series from the Royal Australian Mint.

Mary Read was born in London in 1685 or 1690. She first served in the military and then signed on with a merchant ship that was captured by pirates en route to the Caribbean, where she met Anne Bonny and John Rackham who were both pirates.

Eventually, the pirate crew was ambushed and overpowered, and Rackham was executed while Anne Bonny and Mary Read were imprisoned. Mary Read died of a fever while imprisoned.

Dressed as a man or a woman, it is evident that Mary Read’s greatest love was living as a pirate. She waved that blade and pistol with enthusiasm and flourished in a life not generally open to women.

Source: The Coin Shoppe