The latest coin commemorating the events of the First World War has arrived and it’s from the New Zealand Mint, a mint that doesn’t yet have a heavy presence in the genre, mainly because the national issuer of New Zealand coins, the New Zealand Post, has been doing the honours. It’s good to see this highly capable mint get involved and for a change it’s a coin not depicting ANZAC forces. While the men of the ANZAC units deserve every plaudit heaped upon them, it has been a little disappointing to see the other Antipodean mints limit their commemorations of the war to that subject alone. All of them, particularly the Perth Mint, have fans around the globe and we’d like to see some more general issues to reflect that.
There were many headline events in the first truly global conflagration that really stick in the mind, and the sinking of the British passenger liner the RMS Lusitania, is certainly one of them. A shocking act bringing widespread condemnation, it brought home exactly what kind of war was now being fought between the great powers of the world. With 128 US citizens amongst the dead, it also caused the American public to see Germany as an uncontrolled aggressor, as well as a genuine threat to world stability. The British were certainly not free of blame, almost definitely loading the ship with undocumented munitions far above those listed on the cargo manifest, but it doesn’t alter the fact that a submarine commander knowingly sank a cruise liner carrying 2,000 civilians.
The coin itself is a standard clean, proof-struck, one-ounce silver round, with what seems to be a fine design. Unfortunately there’s only line-art available to look at which is extremely disappointing. Our own view based on the past record of the NZ Mint, is that this will be a fine piece of work, but if you hold off buying before seeing an image of the actual finished article, we’d understand completely.
Packaging is a return to quirky form, resurrecting the porthole frame and the round box they’ve used before. These are really nice so no complaints there. Hopefully we can get hold off a coin soon and perhaps do an AgAuShoot of it. Available from the NZ Mints new e-store website for $80 USD, it’s pretty good value given the mintage of just 1,915 and the effort put into the presentation. A potentially cool gift for all the Uncle Alberts out there.
MINTS DESCRIPTION
RMS Lusitania was a famous British ocean liner of the early twentieth century. For a period the world’s largest passenger ship, Lusitania was also celebrated at the time of her launch as the fastest and most luxurious liner in the world.
Departing Liverpool (England) on 7 September 1907 on her maiden voyage, Lusitania arrived in New York (United States) six days later where she was the subject of widespread public attention. Over the following years the liner would make 101 round-trip voyages across the Atlantic, taking the sought after Blue Ribbon title twice during her career.
In 1914 following the declaration of war between Germany and Great Britain, submarine attacks intensified in the Atlantic. On 1 May 1915, Lusitania departed New York bound for Liverpool with a rumoured cargo of munitions to aid the British war effort. At 2:10 pm on 7 May, she was torpedoed just 18 km (11 mi) off the coast of Ireland claiming 1,198 lives.
The attack without warning, and death of civilians and neutral nationals aboard, has come to be considered one of the first examples of ‘total war’ and a turning point in World War I. The seeds of American animosity were sown, with the United States entering the war shortly after. The nature of this tragic event remains a controversial topic even to this day.
REVERSE: This coin face shows an engraved illustration of RMS Lusitania steaming across the Atlantic, with the periscope of U-20 appearing in the foreground just moments before her fateful sinking.
OBVERSE: This features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Country of Issue – Niue.
PRESENTATION: The RMS Lusitania 1 oz Silver Coin comes packaged in display case fashioned after a ships porthole. The coin itself may be viewed through the window of the case or carefully removed for closer inspection. Each display case is partnered with a uniquely numbered certificate of authenticity, and comes packaged in a box inspired by the colours of this famous cruise liner.
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THE RMS LUSITANIA
Built by John Brown & Co at Clydebank in Scotland, the 31,550 gross-ton Lusitania was designed and built for Cunard to wrestle back the lucrative transatlantic trade from German operators. Launched on 07 June 1906, she undertook her maiden voyage 15 months later on 07 September 1907. The biggest passenger liner in the world at launch, the 239.9 m (787 ft) long and 26.5 m (87 ft) wide vessel had nine passenger decks and was powered by advanced steam turbines that at her best, gave her a top speed of 26.7 knots (49.4 km/h, 30.7 mph).
Capable of carrying 2,198 passengers in total, she was part financed by the British Admiralty and built to Admiralty specifications so that she could operate as an auxiliary cruiser in times of war. This meant all machinery sat below the waterline to protect from gunfire and she had a cargo compartment designed to carry munitions.
Holder of the prestigious Blue Riband trophy, she was an innovative ship much loved for her spacious accomodation, especially in third class, and was equipped with lifts, wireless telegraph, and electric light.
She had a sister ship called Mauretania that was built by Swan Hunter in England three months later. Final details of the two ships were left to designers at the two yards so that the ships differed in details of hull design and finished structure. The later ship was a metre longer and almost 400 gross-tons heavier. She was also faster and took the Blue Riband from Lusitania soon after launch which she held for a staggering 20 years. She served as a hospital ship in WWI and was retired and scrapped in 1934 after a successful career.
THE SINKING
It was the second year of the First World War when on 04 February 1915, Germany declared the seas around Britain a war zone: from 18 February allied ships in the area would be sunk without warning.
On 7 May, 1915 the Lusitania was nearing the end of her 202nd crossing, bound for Liverpool from New York, and was scheduled to dock at the Prince’s Landing Stage later that afternoon. Aboard her were 1,962 people. She was running parallel to the south coast of Ireland, and was roughly 11 miles off the Old Head of Kinsale when the liner crossed in front of U-20 at 14:10. Because of the liner’s great speed, some believe the intersection of the German U-boat and the liner to be coincidence, as U-20 could hardly have caught the fast vessel otherwise. Schwieger, the commanding officer of the U-boat, gave the order to fire one torpedo, which struck Lusitania on the starboard bow, just beneath the wheelhouse. Moments later, a second explosion erupted from within Lusitania’s hull where the torpedo had struck, and the ship began to founder in a much more rapid procession, with a prominent list to starboard.
While she was carrying munitions, they were listed openly in the cargo manifest, it became a huge controversy that greatly hardened US attitudes towards Germany, as 128 American citizens had died in the sinking. While the Lusitania was clearly breaking the cruiser rules, the decision to sink a ship knowingly carrying amost 2,000 civilians was clearly a wrong one. Her munitions carrying capacity was relatively small and the loss of life unjustifiable. There are still arguments to this day about the sinking, but it was undoubtedly a mistake, and the public outrage fully understandable.
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