Westarctica began as an obscure territorial claim filed in 2001 by Travis McHenry, exploiting a loophole in the Antarctic Treaty that left Marie Byrd Land unclaimed by any signatory nation. The micronation has issued coins through various mints as a fundraising mechanism, with Buckle Island — a small volcanic island in the Hobbs Coast region — serving as one of several named geographic features used for denomination theming. These pieces circulate nowhere and were produced in numbered editions for collectors and supporters of the claim.
Westarctica began as an obscure territorial claim filed in 2001 by Travis McHenry, exploiting a loophole in the Antarctic Treaty that left Marie Byrd Land unclaimed by any signatory nation. The micronation has issued coins through various mints as a fundraising mechanism, with Buckle Island — a small volcanic island in the Hobbs Coast region — serving as one of several named geographic features used for denomination theming. These pieces circulate nowhere and were produced in numbered editions for collectors and supporters of the claim.