"The Great Auk is the original penguin- an ungainly aquatic bird found in Arctic reaches. After their eradication at the hands of people hungry for their fat, meat and feathers, the name of penguin transferred to aquatic polar birds at the other end of the world, and the memory of the Auk faded. They were, at their time, one of the most important birds in the world, and their loss is echoed throughout culture and history. This was the species that really got me paying attention to extinction, for whatever reason. Something beautifully awkward, not at home in either world: something familiar." - Roger Peet
One in a series of nine, this original elongated penny was designed by Roger Peet, and made on a machine created by Stuart O. Anderson and Justseeds member Shaun Slifer. While currently producing small runs of single-sided penny editions, the completed machine will produce double-sided pennies matching extinct and critically endangered animals with urban wildlife. Read more about the project...
Please note: while these pennies were all cleaned prior to rolling, each will bear individual variations as a result of their former existence as circulated currency, showing various patinas and markings per penny.
