Silver Half Ounce 2010 Deep Sea Fish - Lanternfish, Coin from Pitcairn Islands - detailed information

The Pitcairn Islands is a non-sovereign British overseas territory in the Pacific Ocean. Having a population of fewer than fifty people, the territory has no need for local coinage and uses the New Zealand dollar as a medium of exchange. Pitcairn Islands began issuing its first commemorative coins in 1988. Though the Pitcairn Islands dollar is not a true currency in the strict sense of the word and is not used as a circulation coinage, it can be lawfully exchanged as tender and is considered a variety of the New Zealand dollar (although it is not legal tender in New Zealand). The Pitcairn Islands dollar exists only because of the coin collecting market, which provides a major staple for the tiny island nation.

The coins are struck by various foreign mints and use internationally popular formats, such as the half ounce (1/2oz) of silver. Some of them are released at prices much higher than their intrinsic value - such as this one - so are classified as Non-Circulating Legal Tender (NCLT) (for those sold at a low margin, see the bullion silver half ounce section instead).

The Lanternfish coloured silver coin is part of a series issued for the Pitcairn Islands which features Marine Life.

Creatures from the deep which most people will never see in real life. Deep sea fish is a term for fish that live below the photic zone of the ocean. The lanternfish gets its name from its ability to produce light. The light is given off by tiny organs known as photophores. There are more than two hundred different species of laternfish in the deep sea. The lanternfish is, by far, the most common deep sea fish. Other deep sea fish include the flashlight fish, cookiecutter shark, bristlemouths, anglerfish, and viperfish.