Silver From Paradise, The British Virgin Islands

Last night I was working through files on my old computer. Many of my pictures and files were a disaster in part because my ex-wife didn't organize things very well, but I'm sure I have a hand in the blame for that one too! While I was going through a folder of older pictures I found an image of a coin that I honestly forgot that I even owned. It's been stored away for years and years, but I decided that I would share it because it's pretty cool.

This is one I picked up in a coin shop in Miami, Florida years ago. What caught my eye about it was the beautiful toning it has around the edges. I also liked the younger image of Queen Elizabeth II. Although this is a non circulation coin made for collectors, at some point someone wasn't too careful it. Because of condition, I paid spot price for the silver which was next to nothing since there are only 3.28 grams of silver in it and silver was cheap at the time. It is a pretty silver nickel though from the British Virgin Islands!

From numista.com

The silver value in this one right now is $3.55, not a whole lot. Sadly, due to condition it wouldn't sell for much of a premium unless someone fell in love with the toning like I did. Another interesting point is that this was produced by The Franklin Mint in Wawa, Pennsylvania. At the time they produced sterling silver coins for many nations throughout the Caribbean.

Another bonus for me is that I love the British Virgin Islands, they are a gorgeous place to vacation!

In 1977 Queen Elizabeth II had been in office for 25 years, having been coronated in 1952. The event was a huge celebration in the UK as well as it's territories. The Queen travelled all over England and Scotland in less than three months, and then visited Canada and Australia as part of the celebration. The band Queen even played two shows in honor of the Queen.

Of course there was also a fair amount of controversy. The band Sex Pistols released "God Save the Queen" as a mockery of the event and government in general. It was the second most sold album upon being published. They even tried to perform on a boat sailing down the River Thames. Police ended up stopping the event and arrested many of their fans.

I personally am not a big royal family follower and don't really understand it, and I am a very distant cousin of theirs. Then again, I'm from the US... However, the monarchy has been a tradition in England for a very long time, and likely will continue as figureheads even though the real power now lies with the people as a democracy.

oiseaux.net

audubon.org

This species of dove is very interesting because the main place you find them is in the Caribbean. They do show up on on the edges of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, but for the most part you only see them while visiting Caribbean islands. In the years I spent living in the islands I would see these doves on a daily basis. They are abundant throughout the Caribbean but for some odd reason don't stray into Florida even though they are found in the Florida Keys. Here's a habitat map in case your interested.

Wikipedia.org

An interesting factoid about this species is they are named for Zénaïde Laetitia Julie Bonaparte. That last name may give it away, but she was the niece of none other than Napoleon Bonaparte.

They are frequently hunted as game birds and are at absolutely no threat of extinction. I personally have never understood hunting birds, it involves using a shotgun which means you would have to be extremely careful while eating them not to break a tooth on buckshot. Just my thoughts anyway, I'm sure die hard bird hunters don't mind it!

jetsetjansen.com

caribbean-charter-flights.com

And what would a post about a coin from the British Virgin Islands be without talking about Virgin Gorda? Incomplete at best. Virgin Gorda is my favorite of the British Virgins, in part because of the baths. These are an area of pools of very shallow water and are spectacular. If you ever have a chance to visit the Virgin Islands, don't miss this one. You will regret it!

That will wrap up my post about this silver nickel from the Caribbean. I hoped you enjoyed learning a bit about it, and the history involved as well. Please feel free to leave any questions or comments below, and thank you for all of your support. It's greatly appreciated! Have a great day!

I am not a financial planner and this isn't financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing your money. You worked hard enough to earn it!

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