Wild Turkeys On Coins

The Wild Turkey is the True American Bird but none have appeared on United States coins until 2013.

Before then there were only tokens and medals, here is one:

Token - New Orleans Mardi Gras Wild Turkey 1978 (38mm)
FISH and GAME of NORTH AMERICA / WILD TURKEY / 1978
JEFFERSON CITY BUZZARDS / MARDI GRAS / SINCE 1890 / N.O.L.A.

Then in 2013, a bird whose time has come:

United States Sacagawea dollar 2013 - Treaty with the Delawares 1778
Delaware Indian tribal animals Wild Turkey, Wolf, Turtle

And in 2015, I got my wish, a wild turkey on an official circulating United States coin:

United States quarter (25 cents) 2015 - America the Beautiful - Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana
Kisatchie, we have liftoff (and yes, they can fly)

And, outside of the United States, another wild turkey on a coin:

The small country of Andorra issued this coin in 2002:

Andorra brass 5 cèntims 2002 Gall Fer or Capercaillie

The Krause 2002 Standard Catalog of World Coins (29th Edition) had this description of the coin:

Andorra brass 5 cèntims 2002 - Krause Catalog description as "male turkey"

Turkeys are native to Mexico and do not exist in the wild in Europe. A Capercaillie is a big European bird sometimes weighing 7 kg or 14 lbs.

The 2005 edition of the Krause Catalog still had the "male turkey" description.

Finland also issued a coin with the Capercaille bird on it:

Finland 10 Markka 1994 Capercaillie
Bi-metallic copper-nickel brass

The Finland coin bird is correctly described in the Krause Catalogs.

And another turkey relative on a coin:

Korea Half Chon 2002 Guinea Fowl

Guinea Fowl are originally from Africa but are now domesticated birds.



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