Anguilla is a British overseas territory in the Caribbean which uses the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) as its currency; it is the common currency of six independent states and two British Overseas Territories. The EC$ has both common and national issues. All common circulating coins are issued under the authority of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank and have no issuing country specified on them. Separately, each member country can also strike coins bearing its national symbols; these coins are legal tender in all members states, and are usually commemorative or bullion not intended for general circulation. Most of the member states are also members of the (British) Commonwealth of Nations and share the same monarch with the United Kingdom, so that the effigy of the monarch is displayed on the coins and banknotes of the currency.
Anguilla has authorised some foreign mints to strike coins under its issuing authority for collector's purposes. Some of these are in popular bullion formats, such as one troy ounce (1 oz) of gold.
This coin is part of the Eastern Caribbean 8 (EC8) series of premium bullion coins by the Scottsdale Mint, which has a new annual design for each country of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). The second (2019) edition for Anguilla features a Lobster.
Lobster is one of the most common and important exports in Anguilla's cultural history. Tourism is now a mainstay of Anguilla's economy, but other important economic activities include fishing, especially for lobster and conch, and constitutes a major export to other parts of the Caribbean and the United States. Due to its internationally recognised culinary community, the island of Anguilla has enjoyed a reputation as "the culinary capital of the Caribbean". |