2019 Antigua & Barbuda 1 oz Silver Rum Runner Proof (Colorized)

The EC8 program consists of four coins in each release 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 2019 Coin Program.

Coin Highlights:

• Contains 1 oz of .999 fine silver.
• Coin comes in a protective plastic capsule with mint issued box and certificate of authenticity.
• Limited mintage of 2,500 coins.
• Obverse: Displays an image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, along with the weight and purity below.
• Reverse: Depicts an 18^th century pirate overseeing his crew as they onload some of the finest rum in the world from Antigua & Barbuda.
• Both obverse and reverse rims feature wavy radial lines making the coins harder to duplicate and provide a measure of security.
• The coins, manufactured and distributed by Scottsdale Mint are legal tender in the territories of the eight members that comprise the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

Collect a piece of history from each of the beautiful Caribbean Islands. Add this Antigua & Barbuda Rum Runner Colorized Proof to your cart today!

The relationship between Rum and the Caribbean can be traced back to 1493 when Columbus first visited Antigua. Keen on the tropical climate and virgin soil, he decided it was the perfect place to offload his cargo of sugar cane trimmings from the Canary Islands. For nearly 150 years locals cultivated the plant for molasses, honey, and sugarcane juice. In 1632 the English colonized Antigua and Barbuda and brought with them their fermentation and distillation abilities – dramatically altering the intended use of the sugar cane plant.

Like any frontier, alcohol had to be imported and was expensive as a result. The invention of rum and the subsequent demand for this cheaper and abundant libation turned sugar cane into the island’s staple crop nearly overnight. Rum became so profitable that other cash crops like tobacco, indigo, and ginger were replaced with sugar; the new economic backbone of the islands.

The first large sugar estate was established in 1674, and competition for rum sales – as well as the security that armed ships provided - quickly heated up. The Caribbean island governors concocted a plan to offer discount pricing on rum to the Royal Navy in hopes of gaining protection from the pirates of the Caribbean. As it were, pirates were making a killing – literally and figuratively – by capturing the prized cargo of lesser vessels and running the spoils (rum) to the heavily taxed colonies in North America and West Indies.