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Difference between revisions of "Balleny Islands"
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[[Duke of Sherman|Jorge Fernandez Vidal]] learned about the Balleny Islands while researching unclaimed land in Antarctica. His intention was a find an area or region suitably outside the jurisdiction of other countries, that could be used as a basis for minting coins of his own design. | [[Duke of Sherman|Jorge Fernandez Vidal]] learned about the Balleny Islands while researching unclaimed land in Antarctica. His intention was a find an area or region suitably outside the jurisdiction of other countries, that could be used as a basis for minting coins of his own design. | ||
Vidal settled on the Balleny Islands in March 2004, after closely examining the language used in the [[Antarctic Treaty]] and realizing that New Zealand's claim to the Balleny Islands could not be legally recognized by any nation, including their own. Therefore, it was highly unlikely New Zealand would ever mint coins for the islands on their own, and they were equally unlikely to assert any kind of legal jurisdiction if Vidal were to mint coins under the name of the Balleny Islands. In his own words, the islands were: “officially unclaimed. A beautiful free land to mint a coin.” | |||
The Balleny Islands became a colony when [[Westarctica]] formally annexed it from New Zealand on 14 January 2005 | The Balleny Islands became a colony when [[Westarctica]] formally annexed it from New Zealand on 14 January 2005. Vidal was appointed its Governor, and following the first successful minting of the Balleny Islands coin, Vidal was given the title Count of Sturge. | ||
==Symbols of the Islands== | ==Symbols of the Islands== | ||