By Tim Binnall
The jackalope, a legendary creature from American folklore, is being celebrated by way of a new silver coin featuring the iconic jackrabbit which sports a tiny pair of antlers. According to a press release, the cool collectible comes courtesy of the Osborne Mint which has been crafting "silver, bronze and copper rounds and ingots since 1835." Although conceding that the odd animal is largely considered to be mythical in nature, the mint playfully declared that their artisans "believe differently" and "studied the habitats, reviewed known sightings and scanned hundreds of images of the jackalope to construct the perfect likeness" of the elusive antlered lagomorph.
For those unfamiliar with the jackalope legend, the faux hybrid is said to have first 'come to life' in 1932 when Douglas Herrick and his brother conceived of the creature while tinkering in their hobby of taxidermy. Their curious creation became something of a sensation and, over the years, countless versions of the antlered animal were crafted by various artisans. In time, all manner of tall tales became attached to the jackalope, which has been depicted as something of a vicious trickster that lured unsuspecting cowboys to their doom by mimicking a human voice and then, upon drawing its victims close, swiftly attacking them with the tiny antlers atop its head.
According to folklore, the jackalope was not above being fooled itself as it is said that the creature could be captured if one left a glass of whiskey beside a fire. This aspect of the critter's colorful history is incorporated in the Osborne Mint's new coin, which features the antlered jackrabbit alongside a cowboy boot and the requisite liquor needed to catch the unique animal. Emblazoned across the top of the piece is a message that is often used in a tongue-in-cheek manner to warn those who might encounter the creature and be fooled by its diminutive size and adorable appearance: 'Fear the Jackalope.'