Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom England Robin Hood's Bay The R.N.L.I Fish
AO Edited

The R.N.L.I Fish

This coin collecting cod is over 130 years old, and the United Kingdom's smallest listed structure.

Robin Hood's Bay, England

Added By
AdOYo
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Mike Kirby/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Mike Kirby/CC BY-SA 2.0
  Neil Turner/CC BY-SA 2.0
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Though this cast iron cod is the smallest listed structure in the United Kingdom at just over a meter tall, the scaly sculpture weighs a whopping 110 kilograms — ten times heavier on average than its natural brethren when caught.

Installed in 1887 to receive donations for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), what is now the charity's oldest collection box stands upon its tail, overlooking Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. From this spot, centuries of fishing boats cast the village's maritime heritage, and lifeboats were launched to save the lives of the ill-fated fisherfolk who fell foul to the North Sea.

Though the RNLI no longer operates from the village, The Fish remains in situ catching coins. Some say that even after over 130 years, the fish flaps its tail in response to every coin that is dropped into its mouth. Don’t blink though, for it does this with such speed that no one in its history has ever caught a glimpse.

Related Tags

Fish Money Coins

Community Contributors

Added By

AdOYo

Published

July 15, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1391560
  • https://heritagecalling.com/2016/06/07/englands-quirkiest-listed-places/
  • https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/what-is-designation/heritage-highlights/cod/
  • https://rnli.org/magazine/magazine-featured-list/2020/april/for-the-benefit-of-the-life-boat-institution
  • Information Plaque, ‘THE R.N.L.I “FISH”’ (2021), Robin Hood Bay.
The R.N.L.I Fish
Cleveland Way
Robin Hood's Bay, England, YO22 4SJ
United Kingdom
54.430198, -0.532256
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Visiter Memorial

Robin Hood's Bay, England

miles away

Peak Alum Works

Ravenscar, England

miles away

Wreck of the MV Creteblock

North Yorkshire, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay

England

Places 2

Nearby Places

The Visiter Memorial

Robin Hood's Bay, England

miles away

Peak Alum Works

Ravenscar, England

miles away

Wreck of the MV Creteblock

North Yorkshire, England

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Robin Hood's Bay

Robin Hood's Bay

England

Places 2

Related Places

  • The “Kajiki cash” was once minted at this spot.

    Aira, Japan

    Kajiki Unofficial Mint Site

    Imitations of Chinese coins were minted here for foreign trade before Japan got its own currency.

  • Woodruff, Wisconsin

    The World's Largest Penny

    In 1953, a group of Wisconsin high school students helped build a hospital by collecting over a million pennies.

  • A detail of the lobby mural.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Bangkok Coin Museum

    Chronicling the history of Thailand’s unique currencies, from the silver “bullet money” to porcelain gambling tokens of various shapes.

  • A string of Sangpyeong Tongbo cash (detail).

    Seoul, South Korea

    Sangpyeongtongbo Gallery

    A small section in the Bank of Korea Museum dedicated to the many varieties of the Joseon dynasty’s iconic coinage.

  • The mint building (museum) as it appears today.

    Carson City, Nevada

    Nevada State Museum

    The museum is housed inside the historic 1863 Carson City Mint.

  • Monetary Museum

    Atlanta, Georgia

    Atlanta Monetary Museum

    It’s all about the Benjamins at this Atlanta museum with interactive exhibits.

  • 4,000 pound wooden nickel

    Iowa City, Iowa

    World’s Largest Wooden Nickel

    This 16-foot-diameter wooden coin has been standing in Iowa City since 2006.

  • The neoclassical entrance dates back to Ferdinand VII’s reign.

    Segovia, Spain

    The Coining House

    The first mechanized factory in Spain is also one of the most significant mints in the history of money.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.