The word «terrapin» comes from an Algonquian language, where it described turtles that lived neither in fresh water nor in the open sea. The diamondback terrapin, captioned «Malaclemys Terrapin» and dated «2024», is shown in colour on the souvenir medal «Praslin 5 Rupees».

Like the other pieces in this turtle series, the medal is a private issue: Numista lists it as a fantasy coin, and its other side carries a coat of arms and the legend «PRASLIN 5 RUPEES». The animal itself has nothing to do with Seychelles: it lives in the brackish tidal marshes of the US East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, from Cape Cod to the Florida Keys and Texas. Salt glands and skin that is almost impermeable to salt let it cope even with sea water.

In the 19th century the terrapin was a luxury dish: in 1899 it was the third most expensive item on the menu at «Delmonico’s» in New York. The harvest took its toll: an annual catch that once reached 89,150 pounds had fallen to 823 pounds by 1920. Since 1994 the diamondback terrapin has been the official state reptile of Maryland, and the University of Maryland adopted it as its mascot as early as 1933.

Condition UNC: the medal has never circulated and shows no wear. In a turtle-themed collection it represents a North American species of the coastal marshes.

At VPcoins numismatic items are chosen both for collections and as gifts.