2019-04-11 Thu

Pobjoy Mint issued a titanium £2 coin and a copper-nickel version of the same, featuring Emperor penguins for the British Antarctic Territory. The reverse side depicts a male and female emperor penguin along with a chick sitting on the feet of one of the adults. The obverse features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II exclusively designed for Pobjoy Mint. The colour of very titanium coin is unique as the metal reacts in a different way with each strike. The 28.28 grams copper-nickel coin has a diameter of 38.6 millimetres and a mintage limit of 10,000 pieces, while the 10 grams titanium coin has a diameter of 36.1 millimetres and a mintage limit of 7,500 pieces. The copper-nickel coin can be bought for $16.95 while the titanium version costs $49.

Out of all the species of penguins, Emperor penguins are the tallest and heaviest. Most animals migrate to warmer lands of Antarctic at the onset of winter in March. However, Emperor penguins walk 200 miles in the opposite direction and breed in the coldest regions of the earth. Temperatures in these areas can fall to -80?C as well.

Emperor penguins have a thick layer of feathers which keeps them warm from inside like all other penguins from the Antarctic region. Almost 25,000 Emperor penguins travel several miles away from the sea in search of their nesting site.

Females lay a single egg and both parents protect it from the ice by carefully moving the egg forward and backwards with their feet. Females then venture into the sea to seek food while the males take care of the chicks. For almost 115 days, the males use their reserves of blubber to stay alive as they don’t eat anything. They take turns to huddle and cover one of them from fast cold winds. The female comes back after the egg has hatched and identifies her partner by his unique call. When females come back, the males go into the sea in search of food.

Click here to read more about different types of penguins. Image Courtesy: Pobjoy Mint