1904 New Zealand S.S Turakina Soveriegn

New Zealand. S.S Turakina, departing on the 17th March 1904 from Wellington to London. Engraved on a Victorian Sovereign. 

[ 0.917 Gold | 7.15g | 22mm ] 

The Turakina was a freighter operated by the New Zealand Shipping Company, notable for its tragic role in maritime history during World War II. Although bearing the name of a New Zealand river and company, the Turakina was a British vessel primarily crewed by British sailors. On August 20, 1940, en route from Britain to New Zealand via Australia, the freighter encountered the German raider Orion in the Tasman Sea, approximately 500 kilometres off the Taranaki coast.

The Turakina engaged in a brief but intense gun battle, marking the first-ever naval engagement in the Tasman Sea. Despite its valiant defense, the freighter was ultimately sunk by the heavily armed Orion.