Pik Coins wraps up its four-coin true-crime series ‘The Gangsters’ with one of the most iconic mob bosses – Lucky Luciano

True crime is a hugely popular subject to this day, the inspiration for countless television shows, and Hollywood films, and in its own right. Documentary series on channels like Netflix, regularly top the charts, recounting stories of serial killers, frauds, and gangsters, both modern and historical. There are also a number of coins issued, the most prominent of which is Pik Coins ‘The Gangsters’ series.

The latest release is the fourth, and final one in the series, and after Al Capone, Bonnie & Clyde, and John Dillinger, it falls to perhaps the most influential of them all to wrap it up – Lucky Luciano. The man who is credited with creating the modern Mafia, Luciano plied his trade in America from the early 1920s, up until his deportation in 1946, earning a fearsome reputation. An apt subject for this series, and one chosen by collectors, as Pik Coins had a vote up for which of five people would be the final gangster.

This has been an excellent series of two-ounce silver coins to date, and I’m pleased to see the final release keeping up that high standard. Luciano is depicted seated, cigar in hand, looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world. To his right stands one of his associates, carrying a Thompson machine gun in one hand, and a ‘lucky’ playing card in the other. Through the window can be seen the SS Normandie, with smoke pouring from her side. The ship was a French cruise liner of much renown, that was confiscated by the US for conversion into a troopship. It sank while moored in NY Harbour, during the conversion process. While some mobsters claimed the credit for it as an attempt to get Luciano freed, it was likely an accidental fire.

The common obverse returns, with the eight-chambered revolver holding four gilded 9mm bullets. One chamber is open to form a hole through the coin, which is repurposed into a bullet hole on the reverse face, just missing ‘Lucky’s’ meat and two-veg! Each coin comes boxed with a Certificate of Authenticity, and the mintage cap remains at 500 pieces. It’s available to order now, either directly from PiK Coin, or from several dealers worldwide. A fine ending to a fine series,