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20 Kina - Elizabeth II Queen Alexandra Wingbird
| Issuer | Bank of Papua New Guinea |
|---|---|
| Year | 1998 |
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| Shape | Round |
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| Obverse description | The obverse displays the national emblem of Papua New Guinea, featuring a Bird of Paradise perched centrally upon a traditional ceremonial drum (kundu), with two large, stylised feather fans flanking the bird on either side. The composition is rendered in high relief against a polished proof field. The legend PAPUA NEW GUINEA arcs along the upper periphery in bold raised lettering, while the date 1998 appears in the lower field beneath the central device. |
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| Reverse description | The reverse presents a highly detailed depiction of the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae), the world's largest butterfly, shown in full dorsal view with wings spread across the field. Floral vegetation, including stylised tropical blooms and foliage, surrounds the butterfly above and below, enhancing the naturalistic composition. The curved legend QUEEN ALEXANDRA WINGBIRD arcs along the left and upper periphery in raised lettering, while the denomination K 20 appears in the lower right field. |
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| Additional information |
The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (*Ornithoptera alexandrae*) is the world's largest butterfly, endemic to a small patch of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea's northern lowlands, and has been protected under CITES Appendix I since 1987. Its inclusion on a gold issue reflects PNG's sustained effort through the 1990s to mint collector pieces around its exceptional endemic fauna — a series that found a ready international market among both numismatists and natural history collectors. The species was named in 1906 after Queen Alexandra of Denmark, consort of Edward VII.