British Virgin Islands 25-CENTS (KM4)¶
-
Reverse MANGROVE CUCKOO
-
Obverse Queen Elizabeth II
- Composition
- 0.925 Silver
- Country
- British Virgin Islands
- Approx. Size
- 26.5mm
- Area
- Caribbean
- Animal Class
- Birds
- Species
- Mangrove Cuckoo
- KM#
- 4
There are approximately 140 species of cuckoos around the world. Of the approximately 19 genera in the family, the Mangrove Cuckoo (aka "Rain Bird") is a member of the "spotted-tail" genus, along with eight other species. They live in tropical deciduous forests, and Mangrove forests.
British Virgin Islands¶
- Area
- Caribbean
Approximately 50 small islands make up the British Virgin Islands, with people living on about one-third of them. Christopher Columbus saw and named the islands in 1493, and some Dutch settlers took up residence in the middle of the 17th century. England took over in 1672. The islands were called the "Virgin Islands" until after World War II. That was when the U.S. made a real estate deal for the Danish West Indies, and renamed them the "U.S. Virgin Islands." I guess they wanted a piece of the action. Meanwhile, Britain was forced to change the name of their paradise slightly to avoid confusion. The government issued the first ever coinage in 1973, all with animals.
