New Sherlock Coin

[Max Magee]

Hey all,

I just saw a report of a new Sherlock Holmes coin from the Cook Islands Treasury. It's a $5 sterling silver (1oz) coin, and it's retailing at $130/€129.95 or so. There are pre-orders available, but I don't believe it will be officially released until January 31st. The obverse has an image of QE deuces.

https://www.artincoins.com/product/2023-cook-islands-1-ounce-typefaces-sherlock-holmes-silver-proof-coin/

The Cook Islands Treasury issue appears to be legal tender in the Cook Islands, but they have some interesting...and questionable designs? One "coin" is in the shape of a Wonder Woman logo, others are novelty norse gods...and...a truck?

The Cooks Islands consists of 15 islands in the South Pacific Ocean that are a self-governing dependency of New Zealand.

 

Although it is a very small country, a vast range of collector silver coins have been issued over the years under the legal authority of the Cook Islands. These silver coins are usually produced by the Mint of Poland, which is one the oldest Mints in the world that is known for its advanced technological capabilities and for minting coins on behalf of many other countries. The Pobjoy Mint, a private Mint in the UK, also issues coins for the Cook islands.

https://www.moderncoinmart.com/silver/more-world-silver-coins/cook-islands-silver-coins

I've already noticed an unfortunate design choice/side effect in that the bold letters that comprise Sherlock's hair seem to spell out a strange message:

"Stimulating t[o] admit that the attempts stem as to apply [b]ites with his naked..."?

This may be too rich for my blood, but it appears that they're only issuing 1887 of them, so they may run out of stock quickly—I'd jump on it quickly, if I were going to buy one.

Mintage

1887

Max

Max "Magic Jezail Bullet" Magee

"I had remained indoors all day, for the weather had taken a sudden turn to rain, with high autumnal winds, and the jezail bullet which I had brought back in one of my limbs as a relic of my Afghan campaign, throbbed with dull persistency." 

[Max Magee]

Oh, and as to what the text is actually supposed to say, it's the first 

Thanks to exquisite microminting, CIT succeeded in reproducing a large part of the beginning of “The Hound of the Baskervilles” word for word from the English original. Since some letters are slightly thicker than others, the portrait of Sherlock Holmes appears as an optical illusion. The letters become an image – the numismatic interpretation of what happens in our mind when we read.

The section in the hair that I noticed above is from this passage

He had never said as much before, and I must admit that his words gave me keen pleasure, for I had often been piqued by his indifference to my admiration and to the attempts which I had made to give publicity to his methods. I was proud, too, to think that I had so far mastered his system as to apply it in a way which earned his approval. He now took the stick from my hands and examined it for a few minutes with his naked eyes. Then with an expression of interest he laid down his cigarette, and carrying the cane to the window, he looked over it again with a convex lens.

And the entirety of the book that is included runs to about pages 1-8, where Holmes and Watson deduce facts about Dr. Mortimer from his walking stick, and he then stops by to pick it up.

The concluding line on the coin is difficult to make out, but it appears to be right around this point in the story:

“A presentation, I see,” said Holmes.
“Yes, sir.”
“From Charing Cross Hospital?”
“From one or two friends...