Penguins on the Falkland Islands. Courtesy of Falkland Islands Tourism

Banknotes and coins from the Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, come from one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth—the author personally traveled for ten days to get them. It normally requires going to Santiago, Chile—itself a day's journey from the U.S.—then another day's travel onward, stopping once (or twice, in my case) and the flight operates only once a week. There is one bank branch (no ATM) and one ATM (in a gas station) in the entire country.

The islands lie about 300 miles (480 km) east of of Argentina, surrounded by vast, cold seas, with a population of roughly 3,700 people. Falkland Islanders are British citizens, shaped by wind, wildlife, and a strong sense of local identity forged far from any mainland. That identity was deeply marked by the traumatic 1982 Argentine invasion, a brief but shocking occupation that left a lasting psychological imprint. While islanders today are polite and pragmatic—Argentine visitors are welcomed as tourists—the experience permanently shifted trust and orientation towards friendly Chile instead, especially as Argentina still claims the islands.

British and French (later Spanish) forts were built in the 1760s. German immigrant to Argentina Louis Vernet founded a settlement that lasted 1826–1833, of 80-100 people. Around 2 dozen were Argentinians (gauchos). Argentina portrays them on its 50 peso banknote as part of its national myth that Argentina settled the Falklands. The British established the capital Stanley in 1845, which grew to 2,000 people by the end of the 1800s.

In 2025, the Falkland Islands released a new currency series ushering in the reign of King Charles III, paired with bold, unmistakably Falklands imagery—penguins in their icy, wind-scoured world, and albatrosses. The designs feel confident and contemporary: monarchy on one side, raw South Atlantic nature on the other. For collectors, it’s more than a royal transition issue—it’s a small territory asserting who it is, visually and unapologetically, after a complex and hard-won modern history.