The Royal Australian Mint’s Pirate Queens, Anne Bonny and Mary Read

The other week I posted the 2022 Niue $2 Calico Jack Silver coin, while that was a different coin series, different mint, different country, and different post, we can’t just make a post about Jack without any mention of these two gals.

“Black birds tend to like shiny things.” ~ The Bloody Raven

The Golden Age of pirates is coming into it’s twilight. Myth and eyewitness accounts mingle with time now made legends. Today when we utter the name of Anne Bonny but it is not without her shipmate Mary Read as their brief career become immortalized when Captain Jonathan Barnet finally clasped the two women in irons.

“They are clothed like men and fought like warriors.” The privateer Captain of the English Sloop Snow-Tyger must have pondered upon how these two came to be God forsaken pirates.

2021 Solomon Islands 2 Dollars Anne Bonny Reverse: Starboard bow view of Calico Jack’s sloop, Jack’s Jolly Roger, Compass circleText; 1oz .999 SILVER ANNE BONNY, AWB0.999 Silver, 31.1g Diameter = 40mm, Thickness = 2.8mmCoin Series; Pirate Queens

First, I will say that these reverse designs are exquisite. Like the 2021 $2 Ching Shih silver coin prior to the Anne Bonny and Mary Read the prominent Compass circle and ship posture gives this series distinct from the Perth Mint’s Black Flag series.

Pirate Lass Anne Bonny under Public Domain

Anne Bonny was Irish born in 1697, an illegitimate child of William Cormac and his maid Mary Brennan. Separating from his wife, the Irish Lawyer turned Merchant moved his new family overseas to the Province of Carolina to establish a successful life. When Anne was 13, her mother dies of Typhoid.

Formerly Anne Cormac, she married a sailor and pirate by the name of John Bonny against her father-in-law, William Cormac’s wishes. He disowned John and ousted his daughter Anne for her poor choice in husbands.

By 1718, Anne and John moved to the known pirate haven of Nassau and employment as an informant to the Governor of the Bahamas. A bit of a dirty job being a paid rat, something Anne detested and her relationship with John soured.

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2021 Solomon Islands 2 Dollars Anne Bonny Obverse; Queen Elizabeth II facing rightText; ELIZABETH II · SOLOMON ISLANDS 2021, IRB, · 2 DOLLARS ·Edge; ReededRoyal Australian Mint, Mintage of 10,000

In 1720 Anne met Calico Jack Rackham and the two became lovers. Rackham offered John a sum to divorce Anne, but John refused and threatened Jack for his interference.

With a small crew that included the disguised 'Mark' Mary Read, Anne and Jack fled Nassau by hijacking the 12-ton sloop named William from right out of the harbor and thus began Anne Bonny’s brief pirate career.

2022 Solomon Islands 2 Dollars Mary Read Reverse: Starboard bow view of Calico Jack’s sloop, Jack’s Jolly Roger, Compass circle, Burning ship in the backgroundText; 1oz .999 SILVER MARY READ, AWB0.999 Silver, 31.1g Diameter = 40mm, Thickness = 2.8mmCoin Series; Pirate Queens

Pictured again above is presumably the Sloop, William where by the added element is a victim's burning ship is left in her wake. Armed with four cannons this ship type popular with pirates as a fast and quick maneuvering craft. The actual historical Sloop is smaller, configured much more different than depicted on this coin.

Pirate Lass Mary Read under Public Domain

Mary Read is an English second born child resulting from an affair by her mother after having been abandoned by her Sailor husband. Mary posed as her deceased half brother in order to keep receiving his money from his paternal grandmother.

When she was older opportunities of work for women dwindled so Mary decided to continue to live as a man, serving in the British military and having married a Flemish soldier at one time. After her husband died, she resumed her disguise and found work as a sailor.

Working the route to and from the West Indies her ship was captured by pirates. It is believed that she volunteered to become a pirate rather than forced. Regardless, she ended up in Nassau as a pardoned pirate and unemployed sailor when she/he was hired by Calico Jack Rackham.

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2022 Solomon Islands 2 Dollars Mary Read Obverse; Queen Elizabeth II facing rightText; ELIZABETH II · SOLOMON ISLANDS 2022, IRB, · 2 DOLLARS · Edge; ReededRoyal Australian Mint, Mintage of 10,000

Having secured the ship, Jack brought his crew up to a total of 13 souls and for the next three months terrorized the Caribbean sea in and around Jamaican waters preying upon lightly armed merchant and fishing vessels. It was during that time Anne became attracted with Mark Read unbeknownst that he was a woman too. The fact was kept within the trio to quell feelings of jealousy between Anne and Jack.

Then Governor Nicholas Lawes of Jamaica directed Captain Barnet to the whereabouts of Rackham's pirate sloop. In October 1720 Barnet's ships caught up to the William. When Calico Jack Rackham's ship was identified Captain Barnet demanded that the William surrender immediately. A voice replied in refusal to strike their colors, a Swivel gun was fired at the Snow-Tyger sealing their fate. Captain Barnet returned a broadside shattering a part of the mast.

According to pirate lore, the crew was inebriated and cowering below deck while Anne and Mary remained on deck to fight and resist.

Anne and Mary made Jack famous.

Captain Calico Jack Rackham, the man who originally wanted to assault a French Man-of-war a few years earlier now asks for quarter.
The William and her pirate crew were taken to Port Royal Jamaica, tried and found guilty of piracy, then executed upon the gallows except for Anne Bonny and Mary Read who 'Plead the Belly' claiming pregnancy. The court granted their stay of execution.

Anne was allowed to see Jack one more time before he hung. And according to pirate lore Anne is quoted to say,

"I'm sorry to see you here, but if you had fought like a man, you need not have hanged like a dog."

Mary Read died on April 1721 after developing complications following childbirth.
Anne Bonny was presumed to be released upon unspecified reasons. Speculation persists that her father-in-law William Cormac was able to exercise considerable influence and had secured her release. Anne's whereabouts were kept secret by the Cormac family and estate.

A burial record dated 29th of December 1733 was found in Jamaica. Another burial record dated April 1762 was found in South Carolina. 🤔

This would have made a fun pirate soap opera. ☠️

Adding Pirate Silver to my Stack for the coming Economic storm!

The #piratesunday tag is the scurvy scheme of Captain @stokjockey for #silvergoldstackers pirates to proudly showcase their shiny booty and plunder for all to see. Landlubbers arrrh… welcomed to participate and be a Pirate at heart so open yer treasure chests an’ show us what booty yea got!

References

My own pictures shot with a Samsung SM-A530W P. Image under PixabayW. Wiki Commons 💀 Page Dividers by thekittygirl 🎃

Sources

Manzanillo Sun, A tale of two Lively Lassies, Anne Bonny and Mary Read
Wiki Anne Boney
Wiki Mary Read
Thoughtco; Biography of Calico Jack Rackham
Britannica; Mary Read Pirate.
Britannica; Anne Bonny Pirate.
Beau Sterling Silver Galleon Broach from Schwartzy's Silver arrrtifacts.
Cameo Raven Brooch from The Black Wardrobe

"I’m just a gal in black, not a bloody Financial Advisor!"