What is a Shellback?

A Shellback is the recipient of a Line-crossing Ceremony. Popular in the American, British, Dutch, Australian, and Russian Navies, it marks the moment when a sailor crosses the equator.

Though the ceremony’s events are largely kept secret from the participants, there are many events that have been banned outright. You can probably guess why in the case of “kissing the royal baby’s belly button.”

Pictured: gross.

Many of the events in the days of yore were accident-prone and detrimental to morale. Forcing pollywogs (uninitiated sailors) to sit in tubs of rotten food was considered one of the tamer things that could happen to you, and more extreme cases involved beatings and outright assault.

There are also two different kinds of Shellback: your normal, run-of-the-mill Shellback, who crossed the equator aboard a warship, and a Golden Shellback, who has crossed both the prime meridian and the equator at the same time.

Being a shellback is a point of pride and honor among sailors. Sailors who have been in for longer than ten years and still aren’t Shellbacks aren’t uncommon, but are viewed as being less-seasoned than their counterparts who’ve taken the plunge into King Neptune’s Court.

Celebrate your own entry into King Neptune’s Court with Navy Crow’s Shellback coin! These things make a fantastic gift for any old salt or young squid, but hurry up before supplies run out!