Scottsdale’s EC8 Caribbean bullion coin program continues with the St Kitts & St Nevis Pelican

The recently released Antigua & Barbuda Rum Runner range was the first in Scottsdale Mint’s new EC8 bullion and proof coin program and now it’s time for the second of the eight issues to have its time in the limelight. This second set is issued for the islands of Saint Kitts & Nevis (SKN), so that leaves Anguilla, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines yet to come.

In most cases these will be the first gold and silver bullion coins ever issued for these countries, so just in that regard alone, these are worthy of great interest. Each of the eight nations will have a unique design (see video below) and in this case it’s the national bird of SKN, the Brown Pelican. It’s an unusual bird and Scottsdale have done a good job showing it in flight above a small flotilla of pleasure craft. The obverse is, as we suspected with the first coin, a common one for the series, thus helping to tie them all together and allowing the reverse face designs greater design leeway without compromising a familial connection.

As before, the bullion coin comes as a 1oz 0.999 silver (25,000 mintage) and a 1oz 0.9999 gold (2,500) variants. There are also proof commemorative versions with similar weights but with coloured highlights and these are supplied in a white coin box with a certificate of authenticity. The bullion variants ship in capsules on customized Scottsdale Mint branded skin boards of five, although dealers will sell them individually. The Gold “Pelican” BU coins will ship in Scottsdale Mint’s Certi-Lock® packaging.

With six more issues to come this year this will grow into an unique range of bullion coins. Next to be issued will be the coin for Dominica and that should appear next month and you can see an image of it in the video below. The Pelican should be available worldwide from today, although APMEX has exclusive US rights until the 28th June.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

Scottsdale Mint, in partnership with the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (“ECCB”), is pleased to announce an historic, first-of-its-kind gold and silver bullion and commemorative coin program – the “EC8”. The EC8 program will consist of four coins minted in 2018 on behalf of each of the eight Caribbean island members that comprise the ECCB – Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.  The ECCB is the official issuer of the Eastern Caribbean Dollar – the Currency of the EC8 2018 Coin Program. These coins are legal tender in the territories of all eight members that comprise the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

The 2018 ECCB St. Kitts & Nevis coin depicts the national bird, the Brown Pelican, mid-flight in the foreground with sailboats against the island’s silhouette. The Brown Pelican is an elegant bird with an over-sized bill and large body. The national bird feeds by “plunge-diving” from as high as 65 feet, using the force of the impact to stun fish before scooping them into its bill. When young, the Brown Pelican is brown on the head, neck, and upper torso of the body, while white below. As it matures, the body becomes dark brown while the head turns white.