5 Dollars - Elizabeth II White-tailed Tropicbirds, Silver Proof

The British Virgin Islands began issuing collector-grade silver proofs in the late 1970s and early 1980s largely at the initiative of the Franklin Mint, which held contracts with numerous small Caribbean territories to produce numismatic sets aimed squarely at the American collector market. The white-tailed tropicbird series fits precisely within that commercial framework — struck not for circulation but for sale through subscription catalogues.

KM#33a is the silver proof variant; a cupro-nickel circulation strike exists as KM#33.