This 2022 60th Anniversary of the Formation of the British Antarctic Territory £2 has been released to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the formation of the British Antarctic Territory in 1962.
The British Antarctic Territory forms the largest and most southerly of the UK’s 14 Overseas Territories, with over 99% of the Territory covered in a permanent ice sheet. The UK’s claim to this part of Antarctica is the oldest of any made on the continent. The permanent UK presence in Antarctica began in 1944 with Operation Tabarin, which continued through the Falkland Islands Dependency Service (FIDS). For the past 60 years, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has provided a year-round presence in the British Antarctic Territory, leading the UK’s scientific research in Antarctica, and playing a crucial role in understanding the impacts of climate change on the continent.
The coin design shows an outline of Antarctica with the British Antarctic Territory highlighted within a marked sector alongside the Coat of Arms and the date of the anniversary.
The 2022 60th Anniversary of the Formation of the British Antarctic Territory £2 is available as a Bi-Metal £2 (Issue limit: 1,950) and Proof Fine Silver with Goldclad (Issue limit: 195).