From tropical Clownfish to Humpback whales, we have hundreds of legal tender sealife coins that represent all manner of marine life. One of the premier series of legal tender sealife coins was issued by the island nation of Palau beginning in 1992 with the first of their Marine Life Protection Series. These coins have become a collector classic, featuring both examples of sea life on the reverse as well as mermaids on the obverse. These coins have been struck in copper-nickel, silver and gold, with the latter two becoming exceedingly rare to find. Other countries, too numerous to list here have also issued sealife coins, many of which can be found on this website.
Cook Islands – Ina and the Shark – $3 – 1987(ND) – Pick 1 -Crisp Uncirculated — Ina was the love of Tinirau, the god of the ocean who lived on a floating island. One day Ina jumped into the sea in search of Tinirau, but since the sea was so restless, she was continually tossed back to shore by its gigantic waves. She enlisted the help of some fish to help her swim, but they were too small to carry her, so in her frustration, she beat them with a stick, permanently marking their bodies. This is how the angelfish got their black stripes. Eventually a shark agreed to carry her on his back. For the journey she took some coconuts with her, for food and drink. After some time, Ina became thirsty, so the shark raised his dorsal fin so that she could crack a coconut and quench her thirst. A bit later Ina became thirsty again and this time she cracked the coconut on the shark’s head. One version of the story says that this is how the hammerhead shark came about. Another story says that this is why there is a bump on a shark’s head, which is to this day called Ina’s bump. Reeling from the pain, the shark tossed Ina off his back dove below the waters, leaving her to flounder in the sea. Fortunately, Tekea the Great, the king of all sharks rose from the bottom of the sea and rescued Ina, carrying her to Tinirau’s island where the lovers were finally reunited. This crisp uncirculated banknote would make a nice addition to any collection of sealife or world banknotes. Over the next few months we will be aggressively searching out and obtaining wildlife banknotes, so feel free to bookmark this page and come back often to see the new additions to our collection.
Arctic Territories – Polar Dollars – Seal – $2 – 2010 – Polymer Banknote – Crisp Uncirculated
One of the issues in the ever-popular Preserve Planet Earth series of coins issued by multiple nations. This crown depicts a River Kingfisher and would be a welcome addition to any collector of wildlife or world coins.
This Five Dollar legal tender coin was issued under authority of the Government of Tokelau.
This is a 2013 Palau Neptune & Mermaids colored coin in a Proof Strike. This One Dollar legal tender coin was issued under the authority of the Government of the Republic of Palau.
S. Georgia & S. Sandwich Islands – Blue Whale – 2 Pounds – 2013 – Br. Uncirculated – Prooflike – As issued by authority of the Government of the South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands in 2013. This legal tender Two Pound coin features the Blue Whale. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales. At almost 100 feet in length and 190 tons or more in weight, it is the largest known animal to have ever existed. Long and slender, the blue whale’s body can be various shades of bluish-grey dorsally and somewhat lighter underneath. As with other baleen whales, its diet consists almost exclusively of small crustaceans known as krill. Blue whales were abundant in nearly all the oceans on Earth until the beginning of the twentieth century. For over a century, they were hunted almost to extinction by whalers until protected by the international community in 1966.
First in a series of five proof silver coins featuring sea life from Down Under, this legal-tender Fifty Cent coin was
minted from one-half ounce of .999 fine silver by the Perth Mint. The remaining coins to be issued in this series will be the Starfish, Surgeonfish, Octopus and Manta Ray. This coin comes as issued by the Perth Mint with an individually numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Clown Triggerfish – $1 – 2009 – Proof – Colored Crown
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands – Grey-Headed Albatross – £2 – 2006 – BU
Gibraltar – Preserve Planet Earth – Dolphins – 1 Crown – 1994 – Prooflike – Descriptive Card
Somali Rep – Hunter & Hunted – Great White Shark – 25 Shillings – 2013 – Gold-plated Colored Coin
Somali Republic – Hunter & Hunted – Penguins – 25 Shillings – 2013 – Gold-plated Colored Coin
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Anemonefish – $1 – 2011 – Brilliant Uncirculated – Color! – Anemonefish are a unique group of fish that live amongst the tentacles of sea anemones. The anemone’s tentacles sting and paralyze most fish that brush against them. Fortunately, they have a layer of mucus covering their skin that prevents the anemones from stinging them. By seeking shelter amongst the sea anemone’s tentacles, the anemone fish are protected from other predatory fish that might otherwise see them as a meal. They are never found far from the protection of their host anemone. Scientists believe that these fish provide benefits to the anemones as well. The anemonefish drops scraps of food as it eats and the anemone cleans up the leftovers. Very territorial, they drive off butterfly fish and other anemone-eating fishes. Beautiful colored crown, part of the Endangered Wildlife series of coins that has been issued under the authority of the government of the Republic of Palau since 1992.
Macedonia – F.A.O. Set – Dog, Trout, Lynx – 1, 2, 5 Denari – 1995 – BU – KM-5a, 6a, 7a – This three coin set was issued by the Republic of Macedonia in conjunction with the Food and Agricultural Organization (F.A.O.), part of the United Nations effort to eradicate hunger worldwide. The coins consist of One Dinar featuring a Pyrenean Mountain Dog, a Two Denari coin depicting a Trout and a Five Denari piece that shows a European Lynx, a member of the cat family. All three coins are in brilliant uncirculated condition as issued by the mint in 1995.
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Threadfin Butterfly Fish – $1 – 2009 – Proof – Colored Crown
Fiji – Tropical Fish – Palette Surgeonfish – $1 – 2009 – BU – Color Crown
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Striped Tropical Fish – $1 – 2008 – Proof Crown – Color
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Great White Shark – $1 – 2008 – Proof Crown – Color
Palau – Endangered Wildlife – Sturgeon – $1 – 2008 – Proof Crown – Color
Only 10,000 of these beautiful Penguin coins were minted from 31.1 grams of .925 fine silver.
Costa Rica – Hammerhead Sharks – 2,000 Colones – 2005 – Pick (New)Crisp Uncirculated
Palau – Great White Shark – King Neptune & Mermaid – $1 – 2008 – Proof Crown – Color
Malaysia – Endangered Species – Painted Terrapin – 25 Sen – 2006 – Brilliant Uncirculated – Display Card – Total mintage on this coin was limited to 40,000 pieces.
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands – Rockhopper Penguin – £2 – 2006 – BU
South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands – Humpback Whale – £2 – 2006 – BU
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