Zenas Coffin (June 3, 1764 – July 8, 1828)[1][2][3] was an American mariner and one of the wealthiest whale oil merchants[4][5][6][7][8] and largest shipowners[6] of his time in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
[7] During July 1791, Coffin became the captain of the ship named the Lydia and sailed on a whaling voyage to the Cape of Good Hope.
[7] By 1820, Zenas appears as sole "owner and manager" and, until his death in 1828, he sent out the following ships: Independence, States, Washington, Constitution, Lydia, Hyeso, and John Jay.
[7] Zenas directed most of John Jay's sailings for twenty years which yielded over 1400 barrels of oil which sold for more than $250,000.
[7] On July 29, 1823, one of the firm's ships, the Dauphin, arrived in Nantucket carrying survivors of the Essex, whose sinking inspired the novel Moby Dick.
At the beginning of the War, Coffin had a large supply of oil and held it waiting for higher prices.
[7] Throughout the duration of the War, since little new oil was brought in, the price remained high and Coffin sold at a great advantage.
[7] The estate records show a final total of 200 items in inventory which must have had a value of nearly half a million dollars at that time.