Minke whale features on coins from Pobjoy Mint

By Jeff Starck

Published: Mar 9, 2016, 11 AM

The Pobjoy Mint has issued new coins honoring the minke whale for the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands.

Coin images courtesy of the Pobjoy Mint.

New Marine Life £2 coins from the Pobjoy Mint celebrate the minke whale.

The coins are being issued for South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands. Uncirculated copper-nickel and Proof .925 fine silver versions are available.

The coins continue a recent series showcasing the idigenous wildlife of the issuing country.

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Minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) are the smallest and most abundant of the rorqual whales. They have a sharply pointed snout, straight mouth line, and a long ridge along the head. Minke whales appear to be mainly solitary and are relatively fast swimmers. When they surface to breathe, their snout appears first. They can stay underwater for as long as 20 minutes.

Females are usually slightly longer than males. The body of a minke whale is slender and very streamlined; the head is narrow and pointed.

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The small dorsal fin is usually strongly falcate (curved) and is a unique feature used to identify individual animals. The dorsal fin and back are dark gray or black, the belly is bright white and there is a distinctive white band on the upper side of each pectoral (side) fin.

Their lifespan is estimated at around 40 to 50 years.

The reverse of the coin shows a minke whale swimming beneath the ocean surface, with icebergs floating above.

The obverse of each coin features the new effigy design of Queen Elizabeth II used exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.

Both coins weigh 28.28 grams and measure 38.6 millimeters in diameter.

The copper-nickel coin is shipped in a Pobjoy Mint blue presentation pouch. The silver coin is encapsulated in an acrylic capsule and housed in a red box accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

The copper-nickel coin has an unlimited mintage and retails for $16.95. The silver coin has a mintage limit of 10,000 pieces and retails for $65.

For more information, or to order the coins, visit the Pobjoy Mint website.