The Pobjoy Mint’s colorful titanium coin series continues, with a blue 2018 £2 piece issued for the British Antarctic Territory.

The reverse design features the small seabird known as a blue petrel diving into the Antarctic Ocean to catch fish. Another two blue petrels ready to join the feast also appear.

Exploring the source of a valuable hoard from the American Gold Rush era reveals almost endless possibilities. Also in this issue, what is a ‘full torch’ designation as it relates to coins?

The blue petrel (Halobaena caerulea) is a small seabird that inhabits southern oceans. They reach about 200 grams in weight and a length of 30 centimeters. They have a white underside and face, with a blueish gray topside. Blue petrels have an extraordinary ability to produce a foul smelling oil which is stored in a special section of their stomach called the proventriculus; they access and feed on this oil during long flights. The blue petrel feeds primarily on krill but also eats other crustaceans, fish and squid.  

They catch their prey by diving into the water and can reach depths of up to six meters, but can also be found sitting on the surface and dip diving. The blue petrel is a pelagic bird which means that they live at sea.

The only time they visit the shore is when they breed, and during this time the birds live in burrows in large colonies. They lay one egg that takes about 50 days to hatch, and after a further 55 days, the hatchling fledges.

The blue petrel design is available in copper-nickel and titanium versions. 

Titanium reacts differently with every strike, so each Blue Petrel titanium coin is technically different and varies slightly in color. A lined effect unique to titanium is also on the coins. 

The obverse features Pobjoy’s exclusive effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.

The titanium coin weighs 10 grams, measures 36.1 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 7,500 pieces. It retails for $59. 

The copper-nickel version weighs 28.28 grams, measures 38.6 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 10,000 pieces. It retails for $16.95.

Visit the Pobjoy Mint website for more details.

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