2021 HMS Scotia BU Diamond Finish 50p

Description

A new 50 pence coin in the Antarctic ship series featuring the Scotia on behalf of the British Antarctic Territory.  This new coin commemorates the Centenary of William Speirs Bruce who led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. William Speirs Bruce was a British naturalist, polar scientist and oceanographer who organised and led the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea. In 1901, Bruce purchased a Norwegian whaler and during the following months the ship was transformed into an Antarctic research vessel with two laboratories, a dark room and specialist equipment.  It was also equipped with 11,000 metres of cable to allow for deep sea trawling for marine specimens and other equipment for the collection of sea water and sea bottom samples.  One of the achievements of the expedition was to establish the first permanent weather station in Antarctica which is still operational now. The obverse of the coin features an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II produced exclusively by Pobjoy Mint.