Pobjoy has a long history with the trqaditional British 50 pence coin, and while the UK issues are obviously dealt with by the Royal Mint, they’ve carved out a healthy niche in the Overseas Territories. In 2019, the mint issued a five-coin series depicting penguins. The lovable little bird-torpedoes were popular enough to warrant a new series for 2020, this time four coins big.

There’s no real change to the design ethos in use here. A simple rendition of the subject under the penguin name at the top and the denomination at the bottom. The silver coin is struck to a proof finish using 8.0 grams of sterling 0.925 silver. A mintage of just 199 pieces for this 27.3 mm diameter coin. To be honest, the base metal (CuNi) version is why these coins exist and are so popular. First off, they’re coloured, which is applied with admiral restraint. Secondly, at £12.99 (incl VAT), they’re very affordable with a diamond finish and 2,500 mintage. Whatever you choose, they remain a clean looking and bang on point coin series.

The only real difference from last year is the change of issuer from British Antarctic Territory, to South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands. Both have an obverse that carries Pobjoy’s own effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The silver coin comes in a solid block acrylic frame, which are great, while the base metal variant comes in a pouch. A collectors album is available for about £5. This Chinstrap Penguin issue is available to buy now and will ship from 15th June.