Complementing the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands Penguin series of base metal coins is a Pobjoy Mint limited-edition Proof .999 fine gold £4 coin for the islands, featuring the macaroni penguin.

Named for an unusual dapper hairstyle of the 18th century that its feathers called to mind, the macaroni penguin has orange tufty plumes for eyebrows. The orange feathers make this penguin stand out from the rest, a striking spot of color in the penguin’s icy and rocky environs.

Penguin statistics, details

The macaroni penguin species has an estimated population of 12 million breeding pairs, but only portion of these live on Antarctica for part of the year; they can form large colonies of hundreds or thousands of birds. They are among the more vocal of the penguins, especially when establishing their territories.

They can travel 250 miles (400 kilometers) just to find a hunting site and are known to spend six months at sea foraging for food. They have been recorded diving as deep as 100 meters (330 feet) seeking their food.

The reverse of the coin features a single adult macaroni penguin.

The obverse of the coin features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II produced exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.

The coin weighs 1.24 grams and measures 13.92 millimeters in diameter.

The coin is presented in a red box with a numbered certificate. It has a mintage limit of 199 pieces and retails for $174.95.

To order or to learn more, visit the Pobjoy Mint website, www.pobjoy.com.

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