Cook Islands Regalskeppet Vasa 2006 One Dollar Crown BU

Okay, every now and then there’s an innovation in numismatics that truly bamboozles me. This world coin has (believe it) friction/odor tech (better known as “scratch and sniff”). Now I like the smell of money well enough but this is one step beyond and this coin actually emits the smell of gunpowder and smoke when the image of the ship is rubbed! That’s getting into the buccaneer spirit! And it’s appropriate considering that the “Regalskeppet Vasa” (also Wasa) was a Swedish 64-gun ship of the line, built for King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden of the House of Vasa, between 1626 and 1628. The Vasa capsized on its maiden voyage due to a “gust” on a windless day! Its sinking was most likely due to the king’s insistence on modifying the design of the ship himself which awkwardly lengthened the vessel and raised its center of gravity up to an easy tipping point. While the ship never fired a shot it did act as the final resting place of about 50 of her crew. I’ll bet they’d loved to have let King Gustavus smell some powder! If you’re a collector of world coins and have an affinity for buccaneers, privateers, or ships then this world coin would make an extraordinary addition to your world coin collection.