Tristan da Cunha issued commemorative 25 pence pieces sporadically from the 1970s onward, partly as a revenue mechanism — the island's remoteness made coin sales to collectors a more reliable income stream than almost any domestic commerce. With a permanent population that has never exceeded 300 and no tourism infrastructure to speak of, philatelic and numismatic issues remain among the few ways the territory generates outside income.
The bimetallic format, unusual for a dependency of this size, almost certainly reflects a contract pressing rather than anything struck on-island. Tristan da Cunha has no mint.
Tristan da Cunha issued commemorative 25 pence pieces sporadically from the 1970s onward, partly as a revenue mechanism — the island's remoteness made coin sales to collectors a more reliable income stream than almost any domestic commerce. With a permanent population that has never exceeded 300 and no tourism infrastructure to speak of, philatelic and numismatic issues remain among the few ways the territory generates outside income.
The bimetallic format, unusual for a dependency of this size, almost certainly reflects a contract pressing rather than anything struck on-island. Tristan da Cunha has no mint.