{"product_id":"cook-islands-2006-2-great-tea-race-of-1866-150th-ann-8g-999-silver-no-tax-issues","title":"Cook Islands 2006 $2 Great Tea Race of 1866 150th Ann. 8g .999 Silver (No Tax) issues","description":"\u003cp\u003eCook Islands 2006 $2 Great Tea Race of 1866 150th Anniversary 8-gram .999 Fine Silver (No Tax) issues. Includes COA.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTea races coincided with the rise of the American Clipper -- a type of sailing ship that was all sails and little weight, enabling it to \"clip\" over the tops of waves at unprecedented speeds. A competitive (but generally good-natured) spirit arose between clipper crews, who would test their mettle as sailors and the speed of their ships in unofficial races from China to Britain. The route was through the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, and up through the Atlantic, past the Azores, to the English Channel and into the Thames. First ship to port won the race -- which promised good press, the opportunity for bigger, better jobs and, sometimes, cash bonuses.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTea races were popular from about 1850 to 1870, with the biggest one -- the Great Tea Race -- happening in 1866. There were five main competitors: the \u003ci\u003eFiery Cross\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eAriel\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eSerica\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eTaeping\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eTaitsing\u003c\/i\u003e, who all set out within hours of each other from the Pagoda Anchorage in China on the 30th of May. At times, the race was so close that crews on competing ships could see each other. The entire route took about three months to complete, and by the time they reached London, the \u003ci\u003eTaeping\u003c\/i\u003e and the \u003ci\u003eAriel\u003c\/i\u003e were so close that onlookers worried there might actually be a tie -- and there very nearly was one. The \u003ci\u003eTaeping\u003c\/i\u003e eked out the win by just 20 minutes -- which is unbelievably close by sailing ship standards. Considering themselves to be equally excellent sailors, the \u003ci\u003eTaeping\u003c\/i\u003e split their hard-won prize with the \u003ci\u003eAriel\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn an amusing twist of fate, all five clippers had technically already lost the race by the time they got to port. The actual first ship to arrive in London from China was a non-competitor -- the \u003ci\u003eErl King\u003c\/i\u003e, an early steamship, which had arrived nearly \u003ci\u003etwo full weeks\u003c\/i\u003e before the \u003ci\u003eTaeping\u003c\/i\u003e or the \u003ci\u003eAriel\u003c\/i\u003e. The \u003ci\u003eErl King\u003c\/i\u003e blew the clippers so thoroughly out of the water that it would change the way shipping was done. The clippers would hang on for a few years, but by 1870 they had almost entirely been replaced by steamers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRelive this exciting moment in Victorian history with this .999 fine silver coin. Minted on the 150th anniversary of the event, the reverse shows a proof engraving of a clipper ship at full sail, with a second close behind in the background. At just over 38.5 mm in diameter but only 8 grams in weight, this wafer-thin coin is still large enough to enjoy the many details in its design. It comes with its original COA.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease note, this item's capsule exhibits some noticeable scuffs and scratches, and the coin shows some light toning. The COA is included, but there is no additional packaging apart from the capsule.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colonial Acres Coins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53382971654442,"sku":"Oct.Week1.P1-KB2835","price":44.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1022\/4916\/9194\/files\/KB2835.jpg?v=1793313732","url":"https:\/\/goodscalvero.shop\/products\/cook-islands-2006-2-great-tea-race-of-1866-150th-ann-8g-999-silver-no-tax-issues","provider":"Arvella Studio","version":"1.0","type":"link"}