2023 Tuvalu Black Flag — The Fancy 1 oz Silver BU Coin

The 2023 issue

The Fancy: coin, pirate and vessel

This is the 5th documented standard Black Flag release. Coin facts and the reverse depiction are presented separately from the historical record behind the subject.

The reverse depicts Fancy under sail with treasure chests on deck and a skull shape on the horizon. Lucas Bowers is credited with the reverse design.

The published figure is a maximum of 15,000; no final declared total is shown.

Release position: 5 of 6 documented releases
Pirate subject: Henry Every
Vessel subject: Fancy

History & legend

Henry Every and Fancy

Every led a mutiny aboard Charles II, renamed the ship Fancy and in 1695 took part in the seizure of the Mughal ship Ganj-i-Sawai. The raid triggered an international pursuit often described as the first worldwide manhunt for a pirate. The documented raid and manhunt do not establish the later romantic claim that Every retired with his fortune. His final fate remains uncertain.

Release position: 5 / 6
Pirate subject: Henry Every
Vessel subject: Fancy

2023 Tuvalu Black Flag The Fancy standard 1 oz silver BU coin reverse — 2023 standard reverse

Design story

The 2023 reverse: The Fancy

The coin presents Fancy under sail with treasure chests on deck and a skull shape on the horizon. The BLACK FLAG inscription, named subject, silver legend and P mintmark identify the release. Lucas Bowers is credited with the reverse design.

2023 The Perth Mint Black Flag Series reverse detail: Pirate and vessel composition — **Pirate and vessel composition**A closer view of the 2023 The Fancy scene as rendered on the coin.

2023 The Perth Mint Black Flag Series reverse detail: Release inscriptions — **Release inscriptions**The surrounding text names the ship or fleet, pirate subject, silver specification and Black Flag identity.

2023 Tuvalu Black Flag The Fancy standard 1 oz silver BU coin obverse

The obverse

Ian Rank-Broadley memorial effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with 1952–2022

The obverse carries the Ian Rank-Broadley memorial effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with 1952–2022, together with TUVALU, the 2023 date, one-ounce silver specification and TVD $1 denomination.

The reverse

The Fancy

The reverse is a modern coin design centered on Fancy and Henry Every; it should not be read as a contemporary visual record of the historical people or vessels.

Full specifications

At a glance

Available dimensions, artists and issue details for this annual coin are listed below.

Denomination: TVD $1
Silver content: 1 troy ounce
Fineness: .9999
Metal: Silver
Gross weight: 31.107 g
Diameter: 40.9 mm
Thickness: 3.5 mm
Edge: Reeded
Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU)
Authentication: Not documented in the listed item-level sources
Legal-tender country: Tuvalu
Mint: The Perth Mint
Obverse portrait: Ian Rank-Broadley memorial effigy of Queen Elizabeth II with 1952–2022
Obverse artist: Ian Rank-Broadley
Reverse designer: Lucas Bowers

Mintage & issue

15,000

Maximum

The published number is a maximum production limit. A final declared mintage is not currently listed.

Maximum mintage: 15,000
Issue status: Maximum
Source date: 2026-08-14

This release in the series

See the issue in sequence

Compare the pirate and vessel subjects immediately around this release.

2020 Tuvalu Black Flag Royal Fortune standard 1 oz silver BU coin reverse

2020Royal Fortune under sail in rough water beside a looming skull motif and Black Bart's flagOpen annual reference

2021 Tuvalu Black Flag Red Flag Fleet standard 1 oz silver BU coin reverse

2021Ching Shih before a formation of ships, with a skull suggested by the breaking wavesOpen annual reference

2022 Tuvalu Black Flag Rising Sun standard 1 oz silver BU coin reverse

2022Rising Sun at sea with a burning vessel behind it and a skull emerging from the smokeOpen annual reference

2023Fancy under sail with treasure chests on deck and a skull shape on the horizonCurrent coin

2024 Tuvalu Black Flag The Kingston standard 1 oz silver BU coin reverse

2024Kingston approaching a tropical coastline beneath a pirate flag, with a skull shape on the horizonOpen annual reference

Sources

References for this annual coin

Product and numismatic references cover the coin; museum or historical references cover the pirate and vessel context.

This section covers only the standard 1 oz .9999 silver Brilliant Uncirculated coin for each documented Black Flag release. Antiqued, 5 oz, gold, proof, coloured, graded, MintDirect and presentation-format products remain separate objects.

Image credit

Obverse and reverse images: APMEX · 2023 standard 1 oz BU coin.