2022 Niue $1 Silver Antique Coin - I see you - I am the biggest - The Bigfin Reef Squid

 2022 Niue $1 Silver Antique Coin - I see you - I am the biggest

The Lithuanian Mint is continuing its acquaintance with the unparalleled beauty of wild Africa and complements its Wild Africa coin series with a new piece – a coin about the owner of exceptional eyes, the bigfin reef squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana).

The eye of a mysterious creature

The reverse of the I See You coin features the mesmerising eye of the bigfin reef squid. A special UV varnish technology was used to achieve its verisimilitude: the eye is curved outward, as if the real great reef resident is looking at you. The coin depicts its eye for a reason: this squid is exceptional because of its eyes. It turns out that the eyes of these squid are different. One is small and black, and the other is very big and yellow. As a result, this squid can observe its prey and be aware of oncoming predators at the same time. Moreover, such impressive eyes help this creature orient itself in the ocean’s twilight zone even when depths reach several hundred metres and more.

A huge creature with strange eyes

The squid looking at you from the coin says: “I am the biggest.” And rightly so. Scientists calculate that this type of squid can grow so large that their tentacles can reach as many as 4 to 8 metres. Do not assume that this coin is the only opportunity to see such an animal. It has been noticed that they usually stick closer to the shore, so it is very possible to meet this mysterious squid with the strange eyes. This type of squid is mostly found in the Pacific and Indian oceans, and has also recently been found in the Mediterranean.

Although bigfin reef squid usually live for a short time, nearly a year, they are interesting aquatic creatures, as they captivate scientists and researchers by exhibiting complex mating and spawning displays in the spring. Another mysterious feature of this creature is that from the beginning of life these squid are able to change their body colour.

To convey the mystery and uniqueness of these squid, we have created an exclusively designed coin. It allows us to take a closer look at the mysterious eyes of the bigfin reef squid. The obverse of the coin features a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.