The Hawksbill Turtle is an endangered species of turtle that has become a favorite motif of several coin tyoe for several South Pacific nations. The New Zeland Mint has produced this Bullion coin for several years but the 2011 design I think it particularly nice. Bermuda, Austalia (painted), Tovalu (painted), The Bittish Virgin Islands and of couurse Fiji have all produded coins featuring the Hawkbill.

The Hawkbill Turle has a worldwide range in nearly every warm water location but has been recognized as being critically enganged, largely do to fishing practices and the use of the shell for trickets.
You can learn more about the turle in its wikpedia and at the the NOAA site.

2011 Endangered Species Hawkbill Turtle 2 Dollar Coin from FIJI

This is the Archive of images of this coin. One of the interesting things to note about this coin is its unusual and beatiful 3 dimensional wave in the background field of the coin, giving it an unusual look in the hand.


Now what is interesting is that there are almost more Hawkbill Coin Designs in the world that actually turtles. The species is endemic to most of the warm water nations of the world and everyone wants one on a coin:

This one is from Australia


This is Tuvalu


This is Bermuda


Among others...

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The Safir Family Internet Coin Library. Nearly all the coins here have been stolen. If you have any information on the theft, please contact us at mrbrklyn@panix.com Click to see these examples show below including photography: note to lawyer: most of the good stuff is gone Section I: US Coints Large Cent Coppers Flying Eagle Cents Lincoln Cents and Wheat Backs Buffalo Nickels Jefferson Nickels Jefferson Silver War Nickels Bust Half Dimes Mercury (Liberrty Head) Dimes Roosevelt Dime Barber Quarter Dollars Standing Libery Quarter Washington and Washington State Quarters Cap Bust Half Dollars 1813 o.108 AU58 Cap Bust Half Providence Powell. 1818 MS63 Cap Bust Half 1833 MS63 Cap Bust Half Seated Half Dollars Barber Half Dollars Walking Liberty Half Dollars Franklin Half Dollars Kennedy Half Dollars Morgan Silver Dollars Peace Silver Dollars Eisenhower Clad and Silver Dollars Sacawagea Golden Dollars Modern Silver and Clad Proof Sets Modern American Silver Eagle uncirculated mint coins and proofs Modern Silver and Clad 2008 Commorative Bald Eagle Series Gold Coins - Not too many Circulated US Silver Coins prior to 1964 Go To Section II: Modern and Ancient Foreign Coins from Outside The United States Go To Section III: Mandy's 25th Anniversary World Wildlife Fund Silver Coins Unsorted Extra stuff: Bust US Coinage From the coin Show at Melville Long Island Article on Numismatics and Lobbying

The Safir Family Internet Coin Library: Foriegn Coins. Several mints from around the world make exciting coin designs in circulating alloys, silver and gold. Among my favorites are the Perth Mint in Austrailia which produces a variety of coins for nations mostly through out the Pacific Rim. The Neatherlands has also produced some interesting designs, and several private US based mints have produced foreign currency on contract, include the Franklin Mint which has produced many Israeli Coins. Our interest in foreign coins has been nominal but rapidly growing as it seems that US designs are so stuck in the mud. Also, foreign mints are creating bold new designs with color and bimetal designs that are both eye catching and fun. Dutch Scheepjesschelling Biblical Coins overview Australian Silver Koala Australian Kookaburra Silver Australian Perth Mint Reef II Sea Life Silver Hawkbill Turtle Australian Perth Mint Reef II Sea Life Series Octopus Australian Perth Mint Reef II Sea Life Series Starfish Australian Perth Mint Reef II Sea Life Series Surgeon Fish Australian Perth Mint Reef II Sea Life Series Manta Ray Australian Perth Mint Silver Cockatoo Parrot Australian Perth Mint Dollar Silver Dugong Britain Churchill Crown 1965 British Wren Type Farthings Britain Virgin Island $25 Golden Osprey Cayman Islands Cuban Amazon Parrot: 25 Anniversity World Wifelife Fund Chinese Silver Panda Easter Islands Fiji Island Turtle Bullion minted in New Zealand German 10 Euro Archeopteryx Coin Indo-Sassanian Gadhaya Paisa Saurastrat - Silver Coin Israeli Coins Japanese Aomori Coin Judean Roman Wars Judean Herodian Coinage Kashmir Kurdistan Macabean Coins Netherlands Architecture Commemerative Euro Netherlands 400 years since the discovery of Manhattan Commem Netherlands Predecimal Steivers New Zealand 1963 One Florin New Zealand 1996 Kaka Parrot $5 Silver Dollar Niue Island Artist Series: Van Gogh Niue Island Cave of Chauvet Portugal Coa Valley Archeological Site Coin Polish Food for All Commemerative - First Food Slovakia Chatam Sofer Commem Tuvalu Deadly and Dangerous Silver Blue Ringed Octopus Tuvalu Deadly and Dangerous Silver Funnel-Web Spider Uraguay 1969 FAO Pattern Coins Western Satraps 1st Century - 2nd Centry India -R-Drachm Israeli Akko, Birds, Red Sea and Elijah Coins. Perth Minti Kookabura and Koalas, and Van Gogh Coin from Niue Island More Birds and some half dimes half dimes More International Birds

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