A Scion Society of The Baker Street Irregulars
Gibraltar’s 1994 Hound of The Baskervilles Crowns
“With long bounds the huge black creature was leaping down the track …”
– The Hound of The Baskervilles (HOUN)
Gibraltar released 8 different designs for its 1994 series of coins commemorating the 100th anniversary of the return of Sherlock Holmes. In this post, we will discuss the three coins that feature the scene on the Dartmoor moors as the Hound raced by Holmes and Dr. Watson .
Edward C. Rochette, the 5th Garrideb, suggested the idea of a series of coins commemorating Sherlock Holmes while having discussions with Derek Pobjoy, the head of the Pobjoy Mint in the early 1990’s. Pobjoy Mint then struck 8 different designs in 3 metals – cupro-nickel, sterling silver and .999 fine gold.
OBVERSE: ELIZABETH II / (right facing bust of Queen Elizabeth II) / GIBRALTAR • 1994
REVERSE: • 100th ANNIVERSARY OF THE RETURN OF SHERLOCK HOLMES • / THE / HOUND/ OF THE / BASKERVILLES / (The Hound of the Baskerville racing by Holmes and Watson on the moors of Dartmoor) / 1 / CROWN
KM290 – Round, 36.60 mm, Cupro-Nickel, 28.28 grams, Reeded Edge, unknown mintage
KM290a – Round, 36.60 mm, .925 Sterling Silver, 28.28 grams, Reeded Edge, 30,000 minted
KM282 – Round, 22 mm, 1/5 ounce .999 Gold, 6.22 grams, Reeded Edge, 5,000 minted
The press release, issued by the Pobjoy Mint, announcing these coins is somewhat vague and implies that all three coins are Crowns. The Standard Catalog of World Coins 1900-1999 (whose KM catalog numbers we are referencing above) lists the gold coins as being a 1/5 Crown. If this is the case, a slight modification is needed to the reverse description above.
Issue prices were $6 for cupro-nickel, $35 for the sterling silver and $165 for the gold coins.
Once again, the Pobjoy Mint’s engravers need to be commended on the quality of transferring Sidney Paget’s drawing of the scene onto the struck coin.
[…] up with a striking design for the cachet of the Hound of the Baskervilles 43 pence stamp and the 1994 Gibraltar Crown that also honored the […]