News
Published 8th December 2022

William Herschel Bi-Centenary: Southern Constellation of Tucana

The British Antarctic Territory and Pobjoy Mint are delighted to announce the release of the fifth and final £2 coin in the five-coin series commemorating 200 years since the death of British Astronomer Sir William Herschel. Each coin shows a constellation from the “Bayer Family”. This family of constellations are circumpolar which means that they are always fully visible from the British Antarctic Territory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The design on the fifth coin features the Tucana Constellation which is represented by a Toucan, the image of which is depicted on the design. The constellation itself is shown beneath the bird and a compass as it would read in Antarctica.

Tucana constellation lies in the southern hemisphere and it was named after the toucan, a South American bird with a huge bill. Tucana contains three stars with known planets and no Messier objects. Tucana is home to the Tucana Dwarf galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, the globular cluster 47 Tucanae, and several other notable deep sky objects.

You can order this coin now from Pobjoy Mint.