The five rarest 50p coins revealed including Kew Gardens and Olympics ones

The Royal Mint has begun the countdown to the 50th anniversary of ‘D-day’. Not the World War II beach landing, that was in 1944, but ‘decimalisation day’. On 15 February 1971, UK coinage was reorganised into the way we know today, with the old system of 12 pence in a shilling and 20 pence in … Read more

Colony of one of UK’s rarest seabirds enjoys its best breeding season for 25 years

Some good terns deserve each other: Colony of one of UK’s rarest seabirds enjoys its best breeding season for 25 years Nesting pairs of little terns fledged more than 200 chicks at Blakeney Point  The rare seabird has been in serious decline nationally since the 1980s  Rangers counted 154 pairs of little terns nesting over … Read more

Good news for some of Britain’s rarest birds as ten species saw record levels of breeding in 2018

Great news for some of the UK’s rarest breeding birds, as ten species have been recorded in greater numbers than in any previous year, survey reveals.  The Rare Breeding Birds Panel (RBBP) worked with conservationists, scientists and thousands of birdwatchers to track the progress of the country’s rarest birds. The team discovered the results compiling … Read more

National Trust in a mission to save one of Britain’s rarest lichens

The National Trust has attempted to save one of England’s rarest lichens by transferring it from a fallen oak to nearby trees in Cumbria.  Lichens consist of two or three organisms – typically an algae and a fungus – living together in a single, mutually beneficial and  harmonious relationship.  The endangered lungwort lichen (lobaria pumonaria) is … Read more

Would YOU splash £120 on a steak? FEMAIL tries Britain’s rarest Rib-eye made from cows fed on beer

Would YOU splash £120 on a steak? FEMAIL tries Britain’s rarest Rib-eye made from cows fed on beer which is 30 times dearer than a supermarket cut Ribeye steak from Japan is graded A5 – the highest possible ranking for meat 250g slab of wagyu beef is 30 times more expensive than supermarket steak Only … Read more

Conservation: World’s rarest ape could be saved from extinction by artificial rope bridges

Artificial rope bridges could help save the world’s rarest primate — the Hainan gibbon, Nomascus hainanus — by helping them cross gaps in their forest habitat. Experts who suspended ropes some 30 feet above ground across a damaged patch of forest 52 feet wide have filmed the gibbons using the bridge for the first time. The … Read more

Huge boost for rarest butterfly

Huge boost for rarest butterfly: The beloved ‘large blue’ was declared extinct in 1979, but now is back in Britain thanks to successful breeding campaign Large blue butterfly introduced in Gloucestershire last August after five years Conservationists used eggs from Sweden, where the species has survived Some 1,100 larvae released on the Minchinhampton and Rodborough … Read more

MailOnline spots Antarctica’s rarest seal, the Ross, while on a trip with Oceanwide Expeditions

Like finding a needle in a haystack! MailOnline spots Antarctica’s rarest seal alone on the ice within the polar circle MailOnline Travel’s Sadie Whitelocks spotted the seal while at sea with Oceanwide Expeditions Little is known about the Ross seal as the species lives mainly on the densest pack ice It is nicknamed the ‘singing … Read more

Queen and Prince Philip’s 1954 signatures are ‘the world’s rarest autograph’ 

A family Christmas card send to a member of the royal household 66 years ago that  features the signature of both Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip has been revealed to be the world’s most valuable autograph of a living person. Antiques house Paul Fraser Collectables put the festive signatures at the top of this … Read more