Guernsey's red squirrel coinage reflects a genuine local conservation concern — the island's population is one of the last in the British Isles not under pressure from the invasive grey squirrel, which was introduced to mainland Britain from North America in the 1870s and has displaced reds across most of England and Wales. Guernsey's isolation has, somewhat accidentally, made it a refuge.
Issued as part of a broader wildlife decimal series, this piece circulated alongside the standard Guernsey 10p in everyday commerce.
Guernsey's red squirrel coinage reflects a genuine local conservation concern — the island's population is one of the last in the British Isles not under pressure from the invasive grey squirrel, which was introduced to mainland Britain from North America in the 1870s and has displaced reds across most of England and Wales. Guernsey's isolation has, somewhat accidentally, made it a refuge.
Issued as part of a broader wildlife decimal series, this piece circulated alongside the standard Guernsey 10p in everyday commerce.