Yes you read correctly, magnificent frigate bird is the name of the bird on the coin today, not just frigate bird! When I was on a diving trip in Belize quite a few years back I picked up several coins which I have the habit of doing when I travel. I've been sharing them every now and again and I felt like it's time for another one.
If you haven't had to a chance to go to Belize, it' a beautiful country. The reefs and beaches are amazing for snorkeling or diving, and the rainforests are amazing. Plus if you speak English you're in luck because that's the official language (unlike the rest of Central America that speak Spanish.)
Back to another in the silver bird series from Belize, here is the magnificent frigate bird coin:
About the coin:
Country: Belize
Mint: The Franklin Mint, Pennsylvania, USA
Year: 1974
Mintage: 31,000
Strike type: Silver Proof
Series: Avifauna of Belize
Denomination: Fifty Cents
Composition: silver 92.5%
Weight: 9.94 grams
Diameter: 27.7 mm
Edge: Reeded
Reverse: Magnificent Frigate Birds
Obverse: Belize coat of arms with lettering BELIZE SUB UMBRA FLOREO 1974 FM ( I flourish in the shade! is the translation from Numista)
This is a really nice coin set they put out from The Franklin Mint back in 1974. I have most of the coins but I'm missing a couple which I've been actively looking for the last few weeks. I thought it would be fun to complete a post on all of them. Hopefully I can pick those up at a decent price! They are a great collection and made of sterling silver!
The magnificent frigate bird is interesting bird, I have seen them from a distance before when I lived in the Caribbean. They have a very distinct forked tail and really long wings. Their wing span can reach eight feet (2.44 meters) but their body is only three to four feet long (89 to 144 cm.) The male has a bright red throat pouch which is inflated in order to attract a mate during mating season which is really what caught my attention when I saw these pictures.
nemesisbird.com
A male (red neck) and female (white neck) frigate birds in flight
kabegamigqg.blogspot.com
A male with inflated throat pouch to attract a female during mating season
Very bizarre was my first impression, but very interesting. They also have a unique feeding technique, they will attack other sea birds to the point that they vomit and then they eat the vomited fish. I guess the theory is why waste energy hunting when you can steal someone else's lunch. When they do hunt they take advantage of predator fish like the tuna scaring squid and small fish to the surface and snatch them from the water. In essence they let someone do all the work for them whenever possible!
Another interesting feature is that they can spend weeks flying without landing by riding thermals high up in the air then gliding down, day or night. In a single day they can cover 139 miles (223 km), so can cover great distance over the ocean to remote islands where some of them nest. They lay one egg every two years and after the chick hatches the mother bird spend up to a full year caring for the young bird, much longer than any other bird species. I guess it helps the young birds survive into maturity. Very weird and fascinating birds!
I hoped you enjoyed my post today, I had a good time writing it. It's always fun when you learn something interesting while putting together a post, and I love the sea and animal related coins. If you have any suggestion, questions, or comments please feel free to leave them below. Thanks for support everyone, have a great day!
And to the stackers keep on stacking!
And my disclaimer:
Gold and silver stacking can be a fun hobby but isn't for everyone. You can lose money. I'm not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, please always do your own research before spending your hard earned money.
All pictures are mine except where otherwise noted.
References:
https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces34526.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnificent_frigatebird
If you enjoyed my post today you might also like:
Silver coin from Belize of a long-tailed hermit
More Silver from Trinidad and Tobago!
Silver blue-crowned motmot coin from Belize
Re-blog lottery
Now for the winner of the re-blog lottery! Today we had 33 people re-blog my post, thank you so much! You guy are the best! The people who re-blogged were:
@bitandi
@blitzzzz
@bntcamelo
@bulliontools
@caleb-marvel
@ericburgoyne
@flaxz.alive
@florakese
@ganjafarmer
@henruc
@hjrrodriguez
@irfanmustafa
@jorgebgt
@kerrislravenhill
@kungfukid
@ladymisa
@matthew1
@maurojd
@miriammarga
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@necho41
@olaf.gui
@pepetoken
@rebe.torres12
@rosauradels
@ruffatotmeee
@stekene
@sudeon
@trautenberk
@trumpman
@vrezion
@vrezyy
@yorra
Voluntary daily reminder list for those who request to be on it: @ganjafarmer
If you want to be added to the list as well just feel free to ask!
Thank you everyone! I have been working to improve my engagement and all of you have really helped out! If you have any recommendations or suggestions please feel free to let me know. I'm always looking to improve my posts.
Good luck to everyone!
And the Wheel of Names results:
Congratulations @necho41 !
You will receive 3 HSBI!
Now for today's re-blog lottery! You just need to re-blog my post you will be placed on the Wheel of Names for a spin to possibly win 3 HSBI units! Just one prize for the lucky winner. An upvote is not required but is always greatly appreciated. Bots aren't allowed to win the prize. Contest ends at 14:00 (2 PM) California Pacific time tomorrow. If I somehow missed your re-blog please let me know and I'll add you to the next draw.
What are HSBI units? They are units that you can purchase to sponsor someone and you in turn receive a unit as well. This way we both benefit! They give you occasional upvotes on your posts for a lifetime, and the more you accumulate the more often you receive upvotes and the bigger they can be. You can read some more here:
https://hive.blog/hive-189312/@steembasicincome/hive-sbi
If you have more questions feel free to ask.
