Coin | Silver Ounce 2012 Australian Map - Emu |
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The Australian one ounce silver piece (abbreviated as 1 oz and designated with Ag for "silver") is a bullion and commemorative coin format. Uniquely, in Australia there are two mints authorised to strike legal tender: the Royal Australian Mint (which also makes the country's circulating coinage) and the Perth Mint which only makes collector and bullion coins, as well as other bullion products.
Some of these coins can be classified as "Smartminting" (or "smart minting") due to the technologies used in their production; these include irregular shapes, coloured surfaces, precious stone inserts etc. The coins are targeted at collectors who appreciated them as art rather than at bullion investors.
This coin is the second in the Perth Mint's Australian Map Shaped Coin Series featuring various native animals of Australia, and depicts an Emu.
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-largest living bird by height, after its relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. The emu's range covers most of mainland Australia, but the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788. The bird is sufficiently common for it to be rated as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. |
Mint | Perth Mint |
Mint Mark | Letter P |
Total Mintage | 6,000 |
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Obverse | |
The obverse of the coin shows the crowned mature head of Queen Elizabeth II facing right (her effigy known as the "Fourth Portrait"). The Queen wears the "Girls of Great Britain and Ireland" diamond tiara, a wedding gift from Queen Mary (Her Majesty's grandmother) in 1947 - which she also has on the Machin and the Gottwald portraits.
In small letters below the head, the artist's initials IRB (for Ian Rank-Broadley).
Around the effigy is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the value: ELIZABETH II · AUSTRALIA 2012 · 1 DOLLAR ·.
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Reverse | |
The coin’s map-shaped, coloured reverse depicts an emu against the background of a bush scene with grass trees.
Above right, the inscription EMU and the precious metal content: 1 oz 999 SILVER (one ounce of 99.9% silver).
Below left, the P mint mark of the Perth Mint.
Below right, the date of issue 2012 (it is shown on the obverse too); the face value is on the obverse. |
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Reverse Inscription |
EMU 1 oz 999 SILVER 2012 |
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Edge | Plain | Edge Inscription | None |
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Notes | Finish: proof, coloured. Packaging: in presentation box in custom-designed shipper, with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Perth Mint Item ID: 12S74AAA Issue price: AU$ 109.51, US$ 78.34 |
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See also |
The coins in the Australian Map Shaped Coin Series are: - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Kookaburra, 2012 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Emu, 2012 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Kangaroo, 2013 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Platypus, 2013 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Koala, 2014 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Saltwater Crocodile, 2014 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Wedge-tailed Eagle, 2015 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Redback Spider, 2015 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Great White Shark, 2016 - Silver Ounce, Australian Map - Dingo, 2016
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