The Pobjoy Mint continues its Marine Life series with coins from South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands featuring the pilot whale.
Coin images courtesy of the Pobjoy Mint.
The pilot whale is found in oceans nearly worldwide and now, on coins from South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
The Pobjoy Mint continues its Marine Life series with the coin featuring the pilot whale.
Uncirculated copper-nickel and Proof .925 fine silver £2 coins feature the same design of two pilot whales poking out of the icy water on the reverse.
The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II appears on the obverse.
Pilot whales are large, robust animals with a bulbous head and no discernible beak. They are a member of the dolphin family and are second only to the killer whale in size.
These intelligent marine mammals form extremely cohesive social bonds; stranding of several hundred pilot whales is not uncommon, and pod members will often stick close together and protect the matriarch of the group.
The pilot whale received its name due to a belief that the pod always follows a single leader, which, although not scientifically proven, is commonly believed to be the reason for tragic mass strandings.
The pilot whale can dive as deep as 500 meters when hunting for food, and has a diet consisting primarily of squid, along with fish, octopus and crustaceans such as shrimp. Population figures for pilot whales are unknown, and even though they are depleted in some areas, pilot whales are not considered to be endangered. There are estimated to be almost a million long-finned pilot whales and at least 200,000 short-finned pilot whales worldwide.
Both coins weigh 28.28 grams and measure 38.6 millimeters in diameter.
The Uncirculated copper-nickel coin is shipped in a Pobjoy Mint blue presentation pouch. It has an unlimited mintage and retails for $16.95.
The Proof silver coin is encapsulated in an acrylic capsule for protection and housed in a red box with a certificate of authenticity. The silver coin has a mintage limit of 10,000 pieces and retails for $65.
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