2271) "Endurance", British Antarctic Territory (BAT): "Tall Ships Coin Series": Third 50 Pence Coin in the Series minted by Pobjoy Mint UK, in Cupro-nickel and Sterling Silver Variants to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Birth of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen: Year of Coin issue: 2022:
The Pobjoy Mint series of 50 pence coins featuring historical ships continues with the third coin minted on behalf of the British Antarctic Territory to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.
The Endurance:
The design on the coin features the "Endurance", a three-masted barquentine in which Shackleton sailed for Antarctica on his 1914-1917 Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
The Endurance was thought to be the ideal ship for an Antarctic Expedition as it was designed with great inherent strength in her hull in order to resist collision with ice floes and to break through pack ice by ramming and crushing.
The ship was originally built in Norway for Adrien de Gerlache and Lars Christensen, who intended to use her for arctic polar cruises for tourists to hunt polar bears. However, financial trouble led to the sale of the ship to Ernest Shackleton.
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, also known as the Endurance Expedition, is often considered to be the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.
In 1914, Shackleton set his sights on being the first to traverse Antarctica. After a month-long stop at Grytviken whaling station, in South Georgia, the Endurance sailed into the Weddell Sea with the aim of landing the expedition party near Vahsel Bay, from where they would commence their trans-Antarctic crossing.
Encountering difficult ice conditions, the Endurance became beset in the pack ice of the Weddell Sea, drifting north throughout the Antarctic winter before the ship was eventually crushed and sunk.
Her 28-man crew then spent months in makeshift camps on the ice, before they took to the lifeboats to reach Elephant Island.
It was from here that Shackleton and five companions made their incredible 1,300 km open-boat journey aboard the James Caird to King Haakon Bay, South Georgia.
After a short period of recuperation Shackleton, Tom Crean and Frank Worsley crossed South Georgia on foot to Stromness whaling station where they arrived on 20th May.
Shackleton then began his – ultimately successful – efforts to rescue his men on Elephant Island.
After four attempts in different vessels, Shackleton was able to rescue the waiting men, who were brought home aboard the Chilean steamer Yelcho without loss of life.
Discovery of the Wreck of the "Endurance":
After being abandoned, Endurance eventually sank into the Weddell Sea, but the exact location has always been a mystery until 05.03.2022 when an expedition team aboard "S.A Agulhas II" named "Endurance22" finally located the ship intact and in good condition 107 years after it sank.
The expedition team comprising a crew of 46 and 64 other members aboard the South African ice-breaker headed for the Weddell Sea, where they found the 144-ft long Endurance sitting in 10,000 feet of water. The Weddell Sea at this location has a swirling current which sustains a mass of thick sea ice that can be more than a match even for modern icebreakers. Shackleton himself described the site as - "the worst portion of the worst sea in the world" - making it perhaps the most "unreachable wreck hunt of all time. The expedition will make the use of underwater drones to explore the wreck.
The "Endurance" is one of the most famous shipwrecks at par with the Titanic. Shackleton is still quite popular today with Shackleton featuring in books, films and business school courses, where the expedition is considered a case study in effective leadership.
The Coin:
The seven-sided coins, which are part of a wider collection of tall ships issued by various British territories have been minted by the Pobjoy Mint at their facilities in Surrey, England, on behalf of the British Antarctic Territory (BAT).
The Obverse of the 50p (Pence) Cupro-nickel and Silver Coins features an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, which is an exclusive design of the Pobjoy Mint.
The issuing authority name - "BRITISH ANTARCTIC TERRITORY" is placed on the outer periphery.
The Coin has been issued in two variants -Curro-nickel and Sterling Silver:
i) The specifications of the 50p (Pence) Cupro-nickel Coin Variant are:
Country of issue: British Antarctic Territory (BAT); Year: 2022; Coin Series title: "Tall Ships"; Coin theme: "Fram" Denomination/Face Value: 50 Pence; Metal Composition: Cupro-nickel; Weight: 8.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 27.30 mm; Coin Quality: Brilliant Uncirculated (BU); Mintage: 2,750 pieces.
The Brilliant Unc. diamond finish base metal coins are presented in a blister-pak type folder with illustrations and informative text about the "Endurance".
ii) The specifications of the 50p (Pence) Silver Coin Variant are:
Country of issue: British Antarctic Territory (BAT); Year: 2022; Denomination/Face Value: 50 Pence; Metal Composition: .999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 8.00 grams; Diameter/Size: 27.30 mm; Coin Quality: Proof (P); Mintage: 175 pieces; Presentation Box/Case: Yes; Certificate of Authenticity (COA): Yes.
The Silver Proof coins are presented in a Perspex lucite frame case accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
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