CIT 2017 Sea Turtle Palau 0.5g MiniGold

CIT 2017 Sea Turtle Palau 0.5g MiniGold: It takes decades for sea turtles to reach sexual maturity. Mature turtles may migrate thousands of miles to reach breeding sites. After mating at sea, adult female sea turtles return to land to lay their eggs. Different species of sea turtles exhibit various levels of philopatry. In the extreme case, females return to the beach where they hatched. This can take place every two to four years in maturity.

Females may lay 1–8 clutches in a single season. Female sea turtles alternate between mating in the water and laying their eggs on land. Most sea turtle species nest individually. But ridley sea turtles come ashore en masse, known as an arribada (arrival). With the Kemp’s ridley sea turtles this occurs during the day.

Sea turtles have temperature-dependent sex determination, meaning the developing turtle’s sex depends on the temperature it is exposed to. Warmer temperatures produce female hatchlings, while cooler temperatures produce male hatchlings. The eggs will incubate for 50–60 days. The eggs in one nest hatch together over a short period of time. The baby turtles break free of the egg shell, dig through the sand, and crawl into the sea. Most species of sea turtles hatch at night. However, the Kemp’s ridley commonly hatches during the day. Turtle nests that hatch during the day are more vulnerable to predators, and may encounter more human activity on beach. (source: Wikipedia)

Specifications

• Metal: 999 Gold
• Weight: 0.5 grams
• Year of Issue: 2017
• Mintage Limit: 15000
• Size:13.92mm
• Finish: BU
• Minted by CIT (Coin Invest Trust) under the issuing authority of Palau

Reverse Design

This small gold version depicts a stylized sea turtle in a unique shape and a simplified relief.

Obverse

The obverse displays the coat of arms of the issuing state below an outrigger canoe. Above, the inscription REPUBLIC OF PALAU, below, the nominal value.

Packaging

Presented in a capsule in CIT’s minigold collector’s box box. A certificate of authenticity is enclosed.