The Pobjoy Mint’s series of 50-penny coins featuring historical ships continues with another coin issued on behalf of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands, this coin celebrating the RRS Discovery.

Two versions of the coin are available, a copper-nickel example with the Pobjoy Mint’s “Diamond Finish,” and a Proof .925 fine silver 50-penny example.

Launched in 1901, the RRS Discovery was built for Antarctic research and was the last traditional wooden three-masted ship to be built in the United Kingdom.

With Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton on board, its first mission was the British National Antarctic Expedition. This journey was the first by Scott and Shackleton and was known as the Discovery Expedition.

In 1923 the British government engaged the Discovery to carry out research in the Southern Ocean, becoming the first Royal Research Ship.

The two-year expedition was the start of the Discovery Investigations, which recorded valuable information on the oceans and marine life and carried out the first scientific investigations into whale populations.

Importance of mission

The work undertaken on RRS Discovery, and in the Discovery Investigations more generally, made a huge contribution to the knowledge of the whales, their feeding habits and the oceanography of their habitat, according to the Pobjoy Mint.

Ultimately, the Discovery Investigations led to the establishment of the International Whaling Commission and the ban on commercial whaling activities, which has undoubtedly saved many whale species from extinction.

“RRS Discovery is therefore an important part of the heritage of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands and represents a turning point in the fortunes of some of the oceans’ most charismatic species,” the firm said.

The reverse of the coins shows the ship at sail.

The obverse of the coins feature an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II produced exclusively by Pobjoy.

Both coins weigh 8 grams and measure 27.3 millimeters in diameter.

The copper-nickel version has a mintage limit of 1,750 pieces and retails for $29.95 each. The copper-nickel coin is available in a colorful pack.

The silver coin has a mintage limit of 175 pieces and retails for $74.95 each. The Proof silver coin is presented in an acrylic box with a special presentation sleeve.

To order the coins, or to learn more about them, visit the Pobjoy Mint’s website, www.pobjoy.com.

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