Gold Ounce 2024 Rum Runner and Kraken, Coin from Antigua and Barbuda - detailed information

Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign island country in the Caribbean which uses the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) as its currency; it is the common currency of six independent states and two British Overseas Territories. The EC$ has both common and national issues. All common circulating coins are issued under the authority of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and have no issuing country specified on them. Separately, each member country can also strike coins bearing its national symbols; these coins are legal tender in all members states, and are usually commemorative or bullion not intended for general circulation. Most of the member states are also members of the (British) Commonwealth of Nations and share the same monarch with the United Kingdom, so that the effigy of the monarch is displayed on the coins and banknotes of the currency.

Antigua and Barbuda has authorised some foreign mints to strike coins under its issuing authority for collector's purposes. Some of these are in popular bullion formats, such as one troy ounce (1 oz) of gold.

This coin is part of the seventh edition of the Eastern Caribbean 8 (EC8) series of premium bullion coins by the Scottsdale Mint, which has a new annual design for each country of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The 2024 edition features the Rum Runner theme again but with a mythical twist - the addition of the legendary Kraken. The mint says about it:
From the heart of Antigua & Barbuda comes a scene that blurs the line between myth and maritime history - a lone ship battling the fury of the ocean, as a monstrous Kraken rises from the deep. The wind howls, the waves crash, and the sea reveals its secrets in this dramatic portrayal of strength, survival, and the ancient relationship between sailor and sea.

This design captures more than a moment - it evokes centuries of lore and lived experience from a region shaped by water. Antigua & Barbuda, known for its proud naval roots and rich storytelling tradition, becomes the perfect backdrop for this fierce encounter. The Kraken, long whispered about in sailors' tales, takes form here not just as a beast, but as a symbol of the unknown, of challenge, and of awe-inspiring power.

Every detail is rendered with purpose - the twisted coils of the creature’s limbs, the battered sails straining against the wind, the roiling sea beneath. Together, they create a scene that is at once fearsome and beautiful, timeless and alive.

This is more than a tribute to the maritime legend. It’s a reflection of the human spirit that dares to sail forward - undaunted by storms, unshaken by monsters, forever drawn to the call of the sea.