Eastern Caribbean Eight bullion coin range heads to Grenada for its third annual vacation

It wasn’t long ago we looked at the second of Scottsdale Mint’s 2020 run through its annual eight-coin Caribbean themed bullion coin range and now, with a programme heavily compressed by the insidious coronavirus, is the third. This time it’s the turn of Grenada and previous designs have focused on the nations magnificent diving locales.

The undxersea world around Grenada is again the topic of choice, although the lens has turned to the fauna of the area, rather than human activity. There’s a fine looking image of a Caribbean Reef Octopus sitting over a vent near the famous Kick ’em Jenny undersea volcano. It certainly maintains the high standard this series has built up over the last three years and nineteen issues.

Same variants as usual, all an ounce in weight. The gold 0.9999 (2,500) and silver 0.999 (25,000) are back in bullion form, with coloured proof versions available for thecollector in gold (100) and silver (500) as well. The gold bullion coin comes in Scottsdale’s innovative Certi-Lock packaging, while the proof pair come boxed. The silver bullion coin is encapsulated. Available to order now. We’ve been following EC8, so check out our comprehensive Bullion Coin Profile for more details.

WHERE TO BUY

CARIBBEAN REEF OCTOPUS & KICK ‘EM JENNY

The Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus) lives in warm waters around coral reef environments and grassy and rocky sea beds. A typical eight-legged octopus with a large mantle, it changes color and texture to blend into its surroundings, using specialised skin cells known as chromatophores. Its color range is very large; it can change from crimson to green, and bumpy to smooth. It weighs around 1.5 kg. They feed on crabs, shrimp, lobsters, polychaetes and a variety of fish. It is a nocturnal species which only hunts at night.

It lives in hidden, rocky lairs that are difficult to locate, usually created in shallow warm waters. O. briareus is not a social animal, and stays at a safe distance from other octopuses of the same species, except for mating. If faced with a predator, a Caribbean reef octopus, like most other octopuses, sucks up a volume of water then expels it quickly in the form of a jet to propel itself away. To further deter predators, it can eject ink to mask its escape. This octopus does not live in its lair for its entire life; instead, it moves often except when caring for eggs or young.

Kick ’em Jenny is an active submarine volcano or seamount on the Caribbean Sea floor, located 8 km north of the island of Grenada. It rises 1,300 m above the sea floor on the steep inner western slope of the Lesser Antilles ridge. The South American tectonic plate is subducting the Caribbean tectonic plate to the east of this ridge and under the Lesser Antilles island arc.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION $2 East Caribbean $2 East Caribbean $10 East Caribbean $10 East Caribbean
COMPOSITION 0.999 silver 0.999 silver 0.9999 gold 0.9999 gold
WEIGHT 31.1 grams 31.1 grams 31.1 grams 31.1 grams
DIAMETER 38.6 mm 38.6 mm 38.6 mm 38.6 mm
FINISH Brilliant uncirculated Proof Brilliant uncirculated Proof
MODIFICATIONS None Colour None Colour
MINTAGE 25,000 500 2,500 100
BOX / C.O.A. No / No Yes / Yes Certi-Lock Yes / Yes
SCOTTSDALE MINT