Dominica is a sovereign island country 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 - except Dominica, which is a republic - 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. Dominica is nevertheless a member of the Commonwealth of Nations which recognises British monarch as Head of the Commonwealth.
Dominica 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 fifth edition 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 2022 edition for Dominica features the Mountain Chicken (which is actually a frog).
Leptodactylus fallax, commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a critically endangered species of frog that is native to the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. The decline in its population is linked to hunting for human consumption, along with habitat loss and natural disasters. The mountain chicken is one of the largest frogs in the world, the largest in its family Leptodactylidae and the largest frog native to the Caribbean. It can reach 1 kg in weight and up to 22 cm in length. |