2018-09-20 Thu

Pobjoy Mint had introduced a set of five 50-penny coins for the Falkland Islands dedicated to different species of Penguins found in the islands. The third coin in the series featuring a King Penguin was recently released. The mintage limit for all coins in the series would be 7,500 pieces and all of them feature close-up head shots of each species in colour. The first two coins featured macaroni and Gentoo species respectively while the fourth and fifth one will feature Magellanic and southern rockhopper species.

The reverse of the latest release in the series features a colourful head-shot of a king penguin. They have a broad cheek patch and dark feathers. King Penguins are known for the yellow-orange colour at the top of the broad chest. The obverse of this 8 grams coin features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. It has a diameter of 27.3 millimetres and can be purchased for $14.95. A collector album showing a group of King penguins and information about each breed can be purchased for $7.

The Falkland Islands was known as the penguin capital of the world. However, many penguins were killed for oil and skin during the 18th century. A lot of effort has been invested in creating awareness about the conservation of Penguins, a result of which, their numbers are slowly increasing.

Out of all the five species, King Penguins are the second largest in size and have a population of almost 1.2 million. Over 1000 breeding King Penguins and 500 chicks are found in the Falkland Islands every year. The younger penguins look larger in size than adults because of their brown fluffy plumage. There has been a considerable increase in the population of King Penguins, especially in South Georgia.

Image Courtesy: Pobjoy Mint