Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration: Scotia - 2022 Proof Fine Silver with Goldclad® £2 Coin - BAT

The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration was an era in the exploration of the continent which began at the end of the 19th century and ended after the First World War. Exploration of the southernmost part of the globe had been an off-and-on area of interest for centuries prior to the Heroic Age, yet the sheer isolation of the region, as well as its inhospitable climate and treacherous seas, presented enormous practical difficulties for early maritime technology. During this Heroic Age, Antarctica was the focus of international efforts that resulted in intensive scientific and geographic exploration by many expeditions launched from several countries. The common factor in these expeditions was the limited nature of the resources available to them before advances in transport and communication technologies revolutionised exploration. Each expedition was therefore a feat of endurance that tested, and sometimes exceeded, the physical and mental limits of its personnel. The “heroic” label, recognises the adversities that were overcome by these pioneers. The design features the ship Scotia in the background and in the foreground is a bagpiper serenading a King Penguin.