Falkland Islands KM#5.2 10 Pence 1998 VF Very Fine—Queen Elizabeth II 2nd/sm—Seals

A 10 pence circulation coin from one of the most isolated inhabited places on Earth — which Brian from World Money Store personally traveled ten days to reach. The reverse features an ursine seal with cub, one of the iconic marine mammals of the South Atlantic and a fitting emblem for a territory surrounded by some of the richest waters on the planet. Struck at the Royal Mint, this is the KM#5.2 small-type variety of the Elizabeth II second-portrait series. This listing is for 1998.

Obverse

• Colors: silver-toned copper-nickel
• Crowned portrait of Queen Elizabeth II facing right — 2nd portrait by Arnold Machin
• Inscription: QUEEN ELIZABETH THE SECOND

Reverse

• Colors: silver-toned copper-nickel
• Ursine seal with cub — engraved by William Maving Gardner
• Denomination below, date at left
• Inscription: FALKLAND ISLANDS / 10 / 1998

Edge

• Reeded

Other Characteristics

• Varieties: you may receive any variety:
  • 1998 — this coin
  • 1999 (circulation)
  • 1999 Proof (mintage: 2,500)
• Catalog numbers: KM#5.2; Numista N#9559
• Composition: Copper-nickel
• Weight: 6.5 g
• Diameter: 24.5 mm
• Thickness: 1.5 mm
• Shape: Round
• Technique: Milled
• Orientation: Medal alignment ↑↑
• Issuer: Falkland Islands (British Overseas Territory)
• Mint: Royal Mint, Llantrisant, United Kingdom (1968–date)
• Queen: Elizabeth II (1952–2022)
• Type: Standard circulation
• Years: 1998–1999; this listing is for 1998
• Value: 10 Pence (0.10 FKP = USD 0.13)
• Currency: Falkland Islands pound (decimalized, 1971–date)

Argentina's Dangerous National Myth

Argentina claims the islands as Islas Malvinas — but the facts don't support the claim. Argentina never owned the Falklands. Its national myth is based on two brief periods when a handful of Spaniards/Argentines were present on the islands:

1. The British and French built forts in the 1760s, of which the French fort passed into Spanish hands from 1767 to 1811.
2. Louis Vernet, a German immigrant to Argentina, founded a settlement of 80–100 people that lasted around seven years, 1826–1833, of whom roughly two dozen were Argentine gauchos (who are, incidentally, portrayed on a 50 peso banknote).

Britain established the capital Stanley in 1845, whereas all of southernmost Argentina didn't even have a single town until 1869, when Ushuaia was founded. Stanley grew to 2,000 people by 1900. In the 2013 referendum, 99.8% of islanders voted to remain a British Overseas Territory. Its citizens are full British citizens. Three votes were cast against.

Ten days to get here

Getting to the Falkland Islands is not a casual trip. Brian from World Money Store needed to take ten days to travel here and back in 2025 when the Falklands issued their new beautiful polymer banknote series with King Charles. The route: fly to Santiago, Chile — itself a full day from the U.S. — overnight then onward to Stanley on a flight that operates once a week, with stops in Punta Arenas and Ushuaia. On the ground, there is one bank branch (no ATM) and one ATM (in a gas station) in the entire (magical) country.

About the Falkland Islands

• Origin of name: Named after Falkland Sound, the channel between the two main islands, which was itself named after Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount Falkland, a naval official who funded an early expedition in 1690
• Capital: Stanley (pop. ~2,500 — the southernmost capital city in the world)
  • Origin of name: Named after Lord Stanley, British Secretary of State for War and the Colonies in the 1840s
• Population: ~3,800 (2021 census) — fewer people than many small towns
• Area: 12,173 km² (4,700 mi²) — similar to Connecticut or Northern Ireland
• GDP per capita (PPP): ~$70,000+ — driven by fishing licenses and tourism
• Main exports: Squid and fish (fishing licenses are the primary revenue source), wool, tourism
• Borders: No land borders — surrounded by the South Atlantic Ocean; nearest mainland is Argentina (~500 km west)
• Official/spoken language: English
• Ethnicities: Falkland Islanders ("Kelpers") of predominantly British descent; small communities of Saint Helenians and Chileans
• Memberships: British Overseas Territory; United Kingdom responsible for defense and foreign affairs

Falkland Islands Unfiltered

• The Falklands War lasted 74 days in 1982. Argentina invaded; Britain sent a task force 8,000 miles. 255 British and 649 Argentine soldiers died over islands with fewer than 2,000 residents at the time.
• The islands have more penguins than people — by a factor of roughly 350 to 1. An estimated 1.2 million penguins of five species breed there.
• Unexploded Argentine landmines from 1982 fenced off large sections of coastline for decades. Those beaches became accidental penguin sanctuaries, undisturbed by humans for 40 years. Most mines were finally cleared by 2020.
• The Falklands economy runs largely on squid. Fishing licenses sold to foreign fleets — mostly Asian — generate more revenue than anything else. The islands have no income tax.
• In the 2013 sovereignty referendum, 1,513 votes were cast in favor of remaining British. Three voted against. Argentina called the result illegitimate.

The seal on the reverse is not decoration

The Falkland Islands support some of the largest seal populations in the South Atlantic. South American fur seals were hunted nearly to extinction by 19th-century sealers; they have since recovered and now breed in large numbers on the islands. Southern elephant seals — the largest carnivores on Earth by weight, with bulls reaching 2,200 kg — haul out on Falklands beaches to breed and moult. The coin's ursine seal with cub captures both the wildlife and the maritime identity of a territory defined by the ocean around it.

Own this coin from the edge of the world

A 10 pence coin from a territory of 3,800 people, featuring a marine mammal that most of the world will never encounter in the wild. The 1998 date is the common year for KM#5.2, circulated in Very Fine condition: clear detail, moderate wear on high points.

A coin from the edge of the world, sourced from the edge of the world.