2011 two pound coin commemorates the Tudor ship, The Mary Rose

[<k>]

http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59576/notices/1227220/from=2010-09-01;to=2010-10-28;exact=our+mint

'For the obverse impression Our effigy with the inscription " · ELIZABETH · II · D · G · REG · FID · DEF · " and the date "2011", and for the reverse a depiction of the ship based on a contemporary painting, surrounded by a cartouche bearing the inscription "THE MARY ROSE" above, the denomination "TWO POUNDS" below, and a rose to the left and right. The lettering on the reverse is rendered in the Lombardic style employed on the coins of Henry VIII. The said coins will have a graining upon the edge and in incuse letters the inscription "YOUR NOBLEST SHIPPE 1511", save for the gold coin where the incuse letters will be accompanied by a plain edge'.

[Figleaf]

This one has potential. I am looking forward to the design. How will they handle the little problem that a third of the ship is gone? Picture it as is or as was. I was mighty impressed by the Mary Rose, so my expectations are high...

Peter

[andyg]

http://www.royalmint.com/store/BritishBase/UKMRBU.aspx

[Ukrainii Pyat]

Oh yes, me thinks me likeys this ones:



I canna waits to get my grubbies on one.

[<k>]

Here is an article on the Mary Rose, and the design of the coin, which I have scanned from The Royal Mint Spring 2011 bulletin. I think it will interest Figleaf, who is hugely knowledgeable and enthusiastic about ships. I don't know whether you have the Royal Mint bulletins posted to you, Figleaf.

[Figleaf]

Thanks, illustrated. The marketing boys got more right than usual on this one and the coin is a fine representation of a remarkable experiment. A tough way to learn not to place the gun ports too low.

In Napoleonic times, the heaviest guns (mostly 30 pounders) were placed on the lowest deck. If I understand Wikipedia correctly, the Mary Rose had the heaviest guns on upper decks. If so, that may have contributed to the ship's fatal instability.

Peter

[<k>]

What I'm wondering about is the background to all this nautical knowledge you have. Did you perhaps serve in the Dutch navy? Did they still have national service in your younger days? (Maybe they still do).

Do you receive the Royal Mint bulletin yourself? Christian has just PM'd me that he also received it today.

[andyg]

The Mary Rose in Portsmouth is well worth a visit.

As I understand it she had another deck added to the top of the ship, which is where the cannons went.. making her top heavy.  On the day of the final sail she was also heavily loaded , so all it took was a sharp turn and a strong breeze......

[<k>]

As I understand it she had another deck added to the top of the ship, which is where the cannons went.. making her top heavy.  On the day of the final sail she was also heavily loaded , so all it took was a sharp turn and a strong breeze......

Groan! Sounds the sort of thing Laurel and Hardy would have done... 

[Figleaf]

I was once in company that would consider you uneducated if you couldn't tell at a glance if the grainy picture was the Graf Spee or the Bismarck. I just broadened that interest (in my case heavily centered on the Japanese navy) towards older ships. I still visit museum ships wherever I find them. I have been on board ships ranging from a reconstructed Drakkar to a Soviet nuclear submarine and from several sailing clippers to a Liberty ship. However, I am pretty sensitive to sea-sickness

I don't receive any bulletins from any mint. I did get the UK bulletin in the past, but they dropped me, probably because I never bought anything. I also got the Utrecht bulletin in the past. I believe they are only electronic now. Fine with me.

At least Ollie would have blamed Stan. "That's another fiiine mess you got me into, Henry!". There are persistent rumours that the crew knew the ship was no longer seaworthy and not following orders. I remember one document from one of the ship's officers that said he couldn't handle the crew. Also, the officers were inexperienced. The archaeologists found a large number of skeletons. Most were from very young people, ranging from 15 to 30 if memory serves, all male. It probably took privilege to serve on the flagship, not seniority. Not that others were any better. Medina Sidonia was a bleeping civil servant, not a sailor, which was another part of Francis Drake's luck.

Peter

[<k>]

Medina Sidonia was a bleeping civil servant, not a sailor, which was another part of Francis Drake's luck.

Peter

But you've been a civil servant too...

[Figleaf]

Yes, but never an admiral

Peter

[andyg]

I've also read somewhere (must have been at the exhibition as I can't find an online source) that when she started to roll the cannons on one side broke free and rolled to the other side of the ship.  Inexperienced crew or not I think she still would have sunk....