Description
This 2011 25 cent coin’s specimen finish is a very collectible feature that is further enhanced by a richly coloured design; the coin’s larger-than-usual diameter providing plenty of space to capture every detail. Mintage is 14,000 coins.
The Design:
A barn swallow perches on the edge of its cup-shaped nest in front of two fledglings; their hungry mouths wide open, eager for food.
The Barn Swallow:
An agile, dancing flock of cinnamon-throated, forked-tailed birds has marked spring’s arrival for time immemorial. Watching the Barn Swallow swoop and soar as it feeds in mid-air is to witness a study in maneuverability: they even drink and bathe in mid-flight by skimming and dipping over lakes and rivers.
This resourceful bird shuns cities, but likes to nest in man-made structures near meadows and wetlands, which give it plentiful access to its main dietary staple: flying insects. Nest-building can take the two birds up to fifteen 14-hour days to complete. The Barn Swallow’s cup-shaped nests are usually constructed of mud pellets on high vertical or horizontal structures. These nests offer a relatively safe haven for the couple’s four or five spotted white eggs. Once the young birds are fledged, and the days begin to shorten, it is time for the swallow to fly south to warmer climates for winter, before returning in several months with spring in tow.
