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2 Dollars Antarctica, Erebus
| Issuer | Antarctica Overseas Exchange Office Ltd |
|---|---|
| Year | 1999 |
| Type | Fantasy banknote |
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| Obverse description | Central vignette of two gentoo penguins perched on a rocky outcrop against a vivid sunset sky, with rock formations flanking both sides. To the upper left, the issuer's signature of D. John Hamilton, Comptroller, appears above the date November 28, 1999. The denomination numeral '2' in bold relief occupies the lower right, with the issuer's logo centred at bottom. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Central vignette of Mount Erebus rendered as a photographic image above a tricolour proposed Antarctic flag by Dave Hamilton, divided into horizontal bands of purple, gold, and light blue, with a Southern Cross constellation in white stars at right. Corner vignettes include the New Zealand flag at lower left and the Southern Cross at upper right. The issuer's logo appears at centre bottom. |
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| Comments |
The Antarctica Overseas Exchange Office Ltd. was not a governmental authority of any kind — it was a private novelty issuer producing souvenir notes for the tourist and collector trade, with no legal tender status anywhere. These pieces were sold primarily through Antarctic expedition operators and specialist dealers in the late 1990s. The British American Banknote Company, a legitimate security printer based in Ottawa with a long history of producing official currency, lent the series a degree of physical credibility that purely decorative novelties rarely achieve.
D. John Hamilton's signature appears as a kind of invented officialdom — the "Exchange Office" itself had no regulatory standing, no reserves, and no redemption obligation.