British Virgin Islands 50-CENTS (KM5)¶
-
Reverse BROWN PELICAN
-
Obverse Queen Elizabeth II
- Composition
- Copper-Nickel
- Country
- British Virgin Islands
- Approx. Size
- 32mm
- Area
- Caribbean
- Animal Class
- Birds
- Species
- Brown Pelican
- KM#
- 5
One of eight pelican species, the Brown Pelican is graceful in the air, but clumsy on the land. Brown Pelicans are gregarious birds, living in large flocks year round. The huge skin pouch that hangs below their bill holds about three gallons of water and fish, which is three times more than their stomach can hold. They are often harassed by Laughing Gulls, who land on their heads and beaks when their pouches are full. When the pelican drops some fish, the thieving gulls scoop them up.
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.
