Title:
2020 NZ Annual Commemorative - Chatham Island Crested Penguin Silver Proof Coin
Description:
Every year New Zealand Post releases a coin commemorating one of Aotearoa’s extinct animals. This vivid coin recalls the recently discovered Chatham Island crested penguin, a unique species that existed on this remote archipelago until only a few hundred years ago.
Highlights
- First commemorative coin in the world to feature this recently discovered species
- Very low worldwide mintage of 750
- Designed by renowned New Zealand artist Dave Burke
- $5 denomination
- Minted from 0.999 silver.
Design
This vividly illustrated 2oz silver proof coin was designed by New Zealand artist Dave Burke. Two Chatham Island crested penguins are imagined here with a stormy backdrop familiar to inhabitants of the Chatham Islands. The birds are encircled by an arc of koru designs. The coin is also available in a 1oz format as part of the 2020 New Zealand Proof Currency Set.
The first inhabited place in the world to see the sun rise each day, the Chatham Islands are a remote archipelago situated to the east of Christchurch, New Zealand. The rugged and diverse landscapes of the islands boast dramatic cliffs, volcanic peaks and sandy beaches. The islands were once home to a host of native and endemic wildlife, but many bird species have become extinct there since settlement by humans.
A devastating 53 native bird species have been lost since humans arrived on the islands of Aotearoa, and many of the remaining species are on the brink of extinction. Specimens of around 15 species that have become extinct since 1850 have been collected and preserved by museums, and at least three species were around long enough to be photographed alive.
Others were illustrated from life before they were lost.
The remaining birds have been described from the discovery of their bones.
In 2019, an international team of researchers extracted mitochondrial DNA from subfossil bones discovered in sand dunes on the Chatham Islands. This research confirmed that until a few centuries ago a unique crested penguin species, Eudyptes warhami, existed on the Chatham Istands. Crested penguins of the genus Eudyptes are black and white with yellow crests and red bills and eyes. Chatham Island crested penguins were among the largest of the crested penguins.
Undisturbed for millennia, the Chatham Islands once teemed with wildlife. These islands were first inhabited around the 13th century by East Polynesian navigators, the people now known as Moriori. There is evidence that Moriori hunted and consumed Eudyptes warhami, whose size made it likely to be a valuable food source. Later, European settlers arrived, as well as Maori groups Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Mutunga. Descendants of Moriori still reside on the islands.
The impacts of humans and introduced mammalian predators have led to the extinction and endangerment of many species of the Chathams. As on the New Zealand mainland, the clearance of vegetation for farming has left the islands with little remaining forest, and the hunting of marine mammats has all but cleared the shores and surrounding waters of seals and whales. Both farm animals and predatory rats, mice, cats and dogs have contributed to the devastation of native flora and fauna.
Fortunately, these animals are now controlled in most of the areas that are protected for conservation. The protection of native birds and marine tife has led to some revivals. including most famously those of the black robin, shore plover and Chatham Istand tāiko. Many of the islands have been earmarked as conservation reserves, in a dedicated effort to preserve and revitalise the precious native wildlife that remains.
Highlights
- First commemorative coin in the world to feature this recently discovered species
- Very low worldwide mintage of 750
- Designed by renowned New Zealand artist Dave Burke
- $5 denomination
- Minted from 0.999 silver.
Design
This vividly illustrated 2oz silver proof coin was designed by New Zealand artist Dave Burke. Two Chatham Island crested penguins are imagined here with a stormy backdrop familiar to inhabitants of the Chatham Islands. The birds are encircled by an arc of koru designs. The coin is also available in a 1oz format as part of the 2020 New Zealand Proof Currency Set.
The first inhabited place in the world to see the sun rise each day, the Chatham Islands are a remote archipelago situated to the east of Christchurch, New Zealand. The rugged and diverse landscapes of the islands boast dramatic cliffs, volcanic peaks and sandy beaches. The islands were once home to a host of native and endemic wildlife, but many bird species have become extinct there since settlement by humans.
A devastating 53 native bird species have been lost since humans arrived on the islands of Aotearoa, and many of the remaining species are on the brink of extinction. Specimens of around 15 species that have become extinct since 1850 have been collected and preserved by museums, and at least three species were around long enough to be photographed alive.
Others were illustrated from life before they were lost.
The remaining birds have been described from the discovery of their bones.
In 2019, an international team of researchers extracted mitochondrial DNA from subfossil bones discovered in sand dunes on the Chatham Islands. This research confirmed that until a few centuries ago a unique crested penguin species, Eudyptes warhami, existed on the Chatham Istands. Crested penguins of the genus Eudyptes are black and white with yellow crests and red bills and eyes. Chatham Island crested penguins were among the largest of the crested penguins.
Undisturbed for millennia, the Chatham Islands once teemed with wildlife. These islands were first inhabited around the 13th century by East Polynesian navigators, the people now known as Moriori. There is evidence that Moriori hunted and consumed Eudyptes warhami, whose size made it likely to be a valuable food source. Later, European settlers arrived, as well as Maori groups Ngāti Tama and Ngāti Mutunga. Descendants of Moriori still reside on the islands.
The impacts of humans and introduced mammalian predators have led to the extinction and endangerment of many species of the Chathams. As on the New Zealand mainland, the clearance of vegetation for farming has left the islands with little remaining forest, and the hunting of marine mammats has all but cleared the shores and surrounding waters of seals and whales. Both farm animals and predatory rats, mice, cats and dogs have contributed to the devastation of native flora and fauna.
Fortunately, these animals are now controlled in most of the areas that are protected for conservation. The protection of native birds and marine tife has led to some revivals. including most famously those of the black robin, shore plover and Chatham Istand tāiko. Many of the islands have been earmarked as conservation reserves, in a dedicated effort to preserve and revitalise the precious native wildlife that remains.
Country:
New Zealand
Year:
2020
Mintage:
497/750
Material:
Silver
Denomination:
$5.00
Weight:
2 oz
Diameter:
50 mm
Edge:
reeded
Designers:
Ian Rank-Broadley
Dave Burke
BH Mayer’s Kunstprägeanstalt GmbH
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Date Added:
2021-05-28 09:50:06
Date Added:
2021-05-28 09:50:06
