Obverse. Image Courtesy of Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS.com)
  • 25 Rupees 1975, KM# 42, Mauritius, Elizabeth II, 15th Anniversary of the WWF, Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
  • 25 Rupees 1975, KM# 42, Mauritius, Elizabeth II, 15th Anniversary of the WWF, Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher
Description

British Mauritius was a British crown colony. Formerly part of the French colonial empire, the crown colony of Mauritius was established after a British invasion in 1810 and the subsequent Treaty of Paris that followed. It later gained independence as a Commonwealth realm on 12 March 1968.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States. WWF is the world's largest conservation organization, with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects. They have invested over $1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995. WWF is a foundation with 65% of funding from individuals and bequests, 17% from government sources (such as the World Bank, DFID, and USAID) and 8% from corporations in 2020.

Obverse

Second crowned portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara enclosed by HM name with date.

The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara was a wedding present in 1947 from her grandmother, Queen Mary, who received it as a gift from the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland in 1893 on the occasion of her marriage to the Duke of York, later George V. Made by E. Wolfe & Co., it was purchased from Garrard & Co. by a committee organised by Lady Eve Greville. In 1914, Mary adapted the tiara to take 13 diamonds in place of the large oriental pearls surmounting the tiara. At first, Elizabeth wore the tiara without its base and pearls but the base was reattached in 1969. The Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara is one of Elizabeth's most recognisable pieces of jewellery due to its widespread use on British banknotes and coinage.

Engraver: Arnold Machin

QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND 1975

Reverse

Depicts the adult male Mascarene paradise flycatcher over its nest on a tree branch, the country name above and the denomination below.

The Mascarene paradise flycatcher (Terpsiphone bourbonnensis) is a bird species endemic to the Mascarene Islands of Mauritius and Réunion. Belonging to the Monarchidae family, it includes two subspecies: the Réunion paradise flycatcher (T. b. bourbonnensis) and T. b. desolata from Mauritius. This species lacks the long tail typical of other paradise flycatchers and measures 15 to 20 cm in length. Males have black heads with chestnut upper parts and bright blue bills, while females are smaller with paler bills and dark grey heads. The flycatcher inhabits various forested environments, feeding on insects like beetles and dragonflies, often by catching prey in mid-air. Breeding occurs from August to February on Mauritius and September to December on Réunion, with nests made from moss, lichen, and spiderwebs, and both parents involved in raising the young.

Engraver: Christopher Ironside

MAURITIUS
1000 RUPEES

Edge

25 Rupees

2nd portrait

15th Anniversary of the WWF
Mascarene Paradise Flycatcher

Subscribe series
KM# 42 Schön# 42
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Non-circulating)
Material Gold
Fineness 0.900
Weight 33.437 g
Diameter 35 mm
Thickness -
Shape round
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Mint

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