2 Dollars 1988, Bermuda
| in Krause book | Number: 34a |
| Years of issue: | 01.10.1988 |
| Edition: | 1 000 000 |
| Signatures: | Chairman: Mr.Charles Z.Mann, Director: Mr. Richard Darrell Butterfield |
| Serie: | 1988 Issue |
| Specimen of: | 01.10.1988 |
| Material: | 100% raw cotton |
| Size (mm): | 140 х 70 |
| Printer: | TDLR (Thomas de la Rue & Company), London |
* All pictures marked 
are increased partially by magnifying glass, the remaining open in full size by clicking on the image.
** The word "Specimen" is present only on some of electronic pictures, in accordance with banknote images publication rules of appropriate banks.
Description
Watermark:
Thunnus. It is a genus of ocean-dwelling ray-finned bony fish from the Scombridae (Mackerel) family.
Avers:
HM The Queen Elizabeth II. The photograph that was used of the Queen was taken in April 1975 by the late Reading-based photographer Peter Grugeon and later released for official use during the Silver Jubilee in 1977. It is one of the more popular images of The Queen. (Peter Symes).
Her Majesty is depicted wearing Grand Duchess Vladimir's tiara, Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee necklace, the Royal Family Orders of King George VI and George V and Queen Alexandra's Wedding Earrings.
The Grand Duchess Vladimir Tiara.
No tiara is complete without a fascinating backstory, and this one's even got a daring escape. Made by Bolin, it glittered at the Russian royal court on the head of Grand Duchess Vladimir until the revolution, when it was left behind as the family fled. A British agent and friend smuggled it out of Russia to rejoin the exiled Grand Duchess and her collection. After her death, the tiara was bought from her daughter by Queen Mary. It's worn often today by the Queen with pearl or emerald drops, or occasionally with no drops. The pearl drop option has been the most popular with the Queen in recent years, probably owing to her love of white gowns in the evening and accompanying white jewels.
To mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, a committee of ladies was formed to raise money for a commemorative statue of Victoria’s late husband Prince Albert. The committee’s fundraising was quite successful, and they ended up raising far more than was required for the statue. An agreement was formed with the Queen that the excess should go to the St. Katherine’s Fund for Nurses. At the same time, some members of the committee decided that a portion of the funds should be used to purchase a necklace for the Queen - and this was also approved by Her Majesty.
The trouble was, the committee did not agree on the necklace. Some felt it would be wrong to spend the funds which had been previously devoted to charity on something else. Much discussion and debate ensued, as is described in depth in Hugh Roberts’ book The Queen’s Diamonds. (My favorite tidbit: Queen Victoria, angry that she wouldn’t get her promised necklace, shot down the prospect of a diamond badge commemorating the nursing fund by declaring she would “at once exchange it for another jewel”.
In the end, a compromise was reached and this necklace, made for £5000 (far less than the necklace originally proposed) from gold, diamonds, and pearls by Carrington & Co. was presented to Queen Victoria in 1888. It features a central quatrefoil diamond motif with a large pearl in the middle, topped by a crown and underlined with a drop pearl. The next four links in either direction are graduated trefoil motifs; the central piece and the six largest trefoils can also be worn as brooches.
She is also wearing Queen Alexandra’s Cluster Earrings. The wedding gift from the future King Edward VII to his bride, Alexandra of Denmark. Also known as Queen Alexandra's Cluster Earrings, these two button earrings have large pearls surrounded by diamonds - 10 larger stones each plus smaller filler stones to create a full diamond ring. Like the brooch, these passed to the Queen via Queen Mary. They're now worn primarily at evening functions.
Royal Family Orders.
King George IV started a practice in the British royal family which continues today: the awarding of family orders. These are diamond-set portraits of the monarch suspended from a silk bow (the color varying by reign), and they are today given to female royal family members of the sovereign's choosing as a personal gift.
Queen Elizabeth was first given her grandfather George V's order, set on pale blue silk.
Followed by her father George VI's, on pink silk, and she wears them both today. (A royal lady can wear all the family orders she has at once.) The orders are positioned on the left shoulder. They are worn for the most formal events, and can usually be seen on the Queen when she's at a tiara event.
In most renditions of this portrait, the Royal Family Order of King George VI is apparent below the left-hand shoulder of Her Majesty, while the uppermost portion of the Royal Family Order of King George V is apparent in only some renditions of the portrait. (Her majesty's Jewel Vault)
Сentered, on background is the lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus).
The lined seahorse (Hippocampus erectus), northern seahorse or spotted seahorse is a species of fish that belongs to the Syngnathidae family. H. erectus is a diurnal species with an approximate length of 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) and lifespan of one to four years. The H. erectus species can be found with a myriad of colors, from greys and blacks to reds, greens, and oranges. The lined seahorse lives in the Atlantic Ocean as far north as Canada and as far south as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Venezuela. It swims in an erect position and uses its dorsal and pectoral fins for guidance while swimming.
Lined seahorses feed mainly on minute crustaceans and brine shrimp, which they suck in through their snout. They are able to suck their prey by creating a current of water leading directly into its snout. Since seahorses are weak swimmers, they must ambush their prey by blending into their surroundings, which they do rather easily. The lined seahorse's eyes can move independently of one another, allowing it to effectively scan its surroundings. The species is sexually dimorphic and it is easy to distinguish between a male and female lined seahorse. The males are larger and also have longer tails. The lined seahorse is monogamous and performs ritual dances every morning to reestablish the bond with its mate. In addition, they create clicking sounds while embracing their partner. This action occurs when they initially find their mate. The intensity of their bond is also conveyed in how they handle the death of their partner: If either the male or female should die, the mate does not automatically replace the deceased mate with a new one. Often, it fails to find a new mate in its short lifespan. 
In lower right corner is Actinia bermudensis.
Actinia bermudensis, the red, maroon or stinging anemone, is a species of sea anemone in the family Actiniidae.
Actinia bermudensis attaches itself to a rock surface by its pedal disc, which can reach 2.5 centimeters (1 in.) in width. The column is narrower at the top than the base and can reach 5 centimeters (2 in.) in height. Near the top is a ring of bulges called acrorhagi which contain many cnidocytes. The oral disc has a central mouth and two irregular whorls of 96 to 140 short, retractable, tapering tentacles which are armed with cnidocytes. The general colour of the anemone is dark red or maroon. In most of the range, the acrorhagi are blue, but in the waters off northern Florida, they are pink.
Actinia bermudensis occurs in the West Indies, Bermuda and northern Florida, and there is a further, isolated population off Brazil. It is found in the intertidal and the sublittoral zone. It is usually found near the base of rock walls, under overhangs, in caves, in crevices and under boulders.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. In words in center.
Revers:
On the left side is the Royal Naval Dockyard building. Small boat is in front of it.
The Clocktower Mall is a Dockyard landmark. Built in the XIX century as administration offices for the British Royal Navy, its beautifully restored cobblestone floors and handsome wrought - iron pillars are now home to an exciting array of boutiques and shops. However, back in 1850 The Clocktower or Great Eastern Storehouse, was used as a warehouse for the Royal Navy. The walls of this massive structure are almost 3 feet thick and truly spectacular to see.
Incidentally, don’t be confused by the Clocktower’s "one-handed clock". While the South Tower is indeed a regular clock, the North Tower is a tide clock that was set each day to mark high tide-vital information for sailors based in Dockyard who needed to avoid the treacherous local reefs to ferry supplies and munitions to ships in the harbor.
A little to the right is the map of Bermuda.
More to the right is stylized Compass rose.
A compass rose, sometimes called a windrose, is a figure on a compass, map, nautical chart or monument used to display the orientation of the cardinal directions: North, East, South and West and their intermediate points. It is also the term for the graduated markings found on the traditional magnetic compass.
The Coat of arms of Bermuda is lower, right.
The coat of arms of Bermuda depicts a red lion holding a shield that has a depiction of a wrecked ship upon it. The red lion is a symbol of England and alludes to Bermuda’s relationship with that country. The wrecked ship is the Sea Venture, the flagship of the Virginia Company. The ship was deliberately driven on to the reefs of Bermuda, by Admiral Sir George Somers, in 1609, to prevent it from foundering in a storm. All aboard survived, resulting in the settlement of the island. The Latin motto under the coat of arms, Quo Fata Ferunt, means “Whither the Fates Carry [Us]”.
Denominations in numerals are in lower left and top right corners. In words in lower right corner.
Comments:
Security thread with printed BERMUDA.
Withdrawn from circulation 01.01.2014.
The De La Rue engraving, as well as reflecting the differences mentioned in Portrait 17a, also represents The Queen with a more cheerful aspect, achieving this through slight differences around Her eyes and lips.
Bradbury Wilkinson's version of this portrait has less shading on The Queen's neck just above Her necklace, than is apparent on the De La Rue engravings (Portrait 17b). There are other subtle variations to the second version, noticeably in the patterns on Her Majesty's dress.
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