This week the Perth Mint introduced its new Australian Map Shaped Coin Series with the release of a limited edition silver coin featuring a kookaburra on its reverse.
According to the Mint, up to 6,000 of the 2012 Australian Map Shaped Kookaburra Silver Coins will be struck. Other iconic Australian wildlife will be depicted on future issues in the series.
"To craft a coin in the distinctive shape of Australia requires the use of purpose-built tooling, hand finished dies and advanced minting techniques," reports the Perth Mint.
The reverse, designed by Ing Ing Jong, showcases the bird sitting on a fence with a colorful backdrop of an outback scene. Inscriptions include, "KOOKABURRA," "1 oz 999 SILVER," "2012" and the historic Perth Mint "P" mint mark indicating its origin.
Its obverse has a small rendition of the familiar Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II and the inscriptions, "ELIZABETH II," "AUSTRALIA 2012," and "1 DOLLAR."
Each Australian Map Shaped Kookaburra coin is legal tender, and is composed from one ounce of 99.9% pure silver to a diameter of 40.60 mm and a thickness of 4.52 mm. Its weight is 31.135 grams or 1 troy ounce.
Straight from the Perth Mint website, interested collectors may purchase the inaugural issue of the Australian Map Shaped Coin Series for AUS $102.27. It should be noted, pricing does depend on movements of the silver market.
Orders will arrive in a colorful shipper with the coin in a black display case accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
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See additional Perth Mint product highlights from this site’s guide of Australian coins.
About the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint (www.perthmint.com.au) is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. It was Australia’s third branch of Britain’s Royal Mint when it opened in 1899 (the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint, which are both now closed).
Ownership of the Perth Mint was transferred to the State Government of Western Australia in 1970 who still operates the facility today.
Now this is just plain silly. Let’s have a kangaroo shaped coin next, or a Kuala bear shape next. What is this, a MINT or a cookie press?
I agree, another Franklin mint undesirable in the making. In my opinion a coin is circular so if Perth wants to put out a kangaroo or koala or platypus shaped blob of silver go ahead, just don’t call it a coin.
Just think… it would be Impossible to grab a pop or bag of chips with this one!
AH HAH…!!
That’s why they’re doing this “coin”. I see it all clearly now. Too many people were accidentally spending silver commems at convenience stores while talking or texting. So they complained to the Perth Mint that they need to create specially shaped coins for commerce different from numismatic coins. That way people don’t have to us their brains when buying stuff, they can keep their attention focused on where it belongs: texting pics of their fannies to their boyfriends and girlfriends.
That is an awesome coin. The only thing better would be a series of coins that fit together like a puzzle to form a map of Australia. What about a coin shaped like a kookaburra with a picure of Australia on it?
Right up there with Somolia guitars and choppers…P.T Barnum would be proud !!!
I think Bubba has an idea going – puzzle pieces of silver. Each world class mint can make one puzzle piece and whoever can guess what it is when they’re put together gets a prize. Wait a minute – did I say world class mint? Well, that rules out anything from Australia. Maybe it should be all the second class mints make the puzzle pieces and the world class mints make real coins.
Anyone know how many total coins would there be in the series? How often would each coin be released?