Crescent island

ILE CRESCENT COIN DATA

500 Poa X#1 2006 Blue Acrylic 38 mm. Mintage 511

1,000 Poa X#2 2006 Green Acrylic 38 mm. Mintage 503

5,000 Poa X#3 2006 Yellow Acrylic 38 mm. Mintage 434

ABOUT ILE CRESCENT

QUICK FACTS

LOCATION: Crescent is about 9 kilometers outside the western boundary of the French Polynesia 200 mile economic zone, located in international waters between the Kiribati and Pitcairn Island Economic Zones.

AREA: Crescent is made up of 2 small islets connected by a small strip of sand at low tide. The total land area is about 200 acres.

POPULATION is 40

ECONOMY: Pearl farming and the sale of crafts

PER CAPITA INCOME: 796 Euros per annum

LANGUAGE is English and Crescentese

The history of Crescent Island, told by the Islanders, passed down to each generation by the elders, tells much but leaves much to question.

Prior to the 1760s, it is known the inhabitants of Crescent Island were residing on Mangareva, in the Gambier Islands, now part of French Polynesia. With the exception of two men, all the males were former crew members from a British merchant ship that stopped at Mangareva. These crew members decided to reside on the island, abandoning their jobs on the ship. The women were all from Mangareva.

As you might imagine, the new inhabitants of Mangareva brought turmoil to the local population. The men brought bad habits to the island. The men 'had their way' with many of the young women and typically refused to help the islanders in the daily work, choosing to consume alcohol instead. The Chief held little power of persuasion over the sailors.