| Coin | Silver Ounce and a Half 2020 Australian Striped Marlin |
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Australia is one of the large issuers of bullion coins. Uniquely, there are two independent mints in the country 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.
Both mints endeavour to create coins with attractive designs, and to introduce new designs and themes often, in order to raise the numismatic value of the coins over the value of previous metal used. Their issues are normally in standard sizes (mostly based on the troy ounce), but sometimes they also issue coins in non-standard formats, such as this one
This 2020 design featuring the Australian Striped Marlin was issued in several formats.
The striped marlin (Kajikia audax) is a species of marlin found in tropical to temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is a desirable commercial and game fish with a record weight (in 1982) of over 200 kg and a maximum length of 4.2 m. The striped marlin is a predator that hunts during the day in the top 100 m or so of the water column, often near the surface. One of their chief prey is sardines. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin depicts the crowned old bust of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, wearing the Royal Diamond Diadem crown worn for her Coronation (effigy known as the "Fifth Portrait" worldwide but "Sixth Portrait" in Australia, where the Queen's portrait by Vladimir Gottwald was fifth).
The Queen also wears the Coronation Necklace; originally made for Queen Victoria in 1858, it was also worn at the coronations (as Queen's Consort) of Queen Alexandra in 1902, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth (the Queen mother) in 1937.
Unlike on British coinage, the effigy is "uncouped" (includes the Queen's shoulders). In small letters on the left, the artist's initials JC (for Jody Clark).
Running continuously around the rim is the monarch's legend, the date of issue and the face value: ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 1 1/2oz 9999 Ag 2020 2 DOLLARS.
The inscription around the rim also incorporates the precious metal content. "1 1/2 oz 9999 Ag" means "one and a half troy ounces of 99.99% silver" - Ag is abbreviated from Argentum, the Latin word for silver. |
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse designs shows a striped marlin breaching the water.
The Perth Mint's P mint mark is above left. The designer's initials IJ, for Ing Ing Jong, are on the tail of the fish.
Around below, the inscriptionAUSTRALIAN STRIPED MARLIN. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
AUSTRALIAN STRIPED MARLIN |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Silver content (Troy oz): 1.500
Finish: bullion (Brilliant Uncirculated), frosted surfaces. |
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| See also |
Perth Mint coins featuring Australian wildlife issued as US exclusives:
- 1/2 oz Silver, Great White Shark, Australia 2014
- 1/2 oz Silver, Great Hammerhead Shark, Australia 2015
- 1/2 oz Silver, Tiger Shark, Australia 2016
- 1/3 oz Platinum, Emperor Penguin, Australia 2018
- 1/3 oz Platinum, Bottlenose Dolphin, Australia 2019
- 1/3 oz Gold, Bottlenose Dolphin, Australia 2019
- 1 1/2 oz Silver, Bottlenose Dolphin, Australia 2019
- 1/3 oz Platinum, Humpback Whale, Australia 2019
- 1/3 oz Platinum, Australian Striped Marlin, Australia 2020
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Striped Marlin, Australia 2020
- 1 1/2 oz Silver, Australian Striped Marlin, Australia 2020
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2020
- 2 oz Silver, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2020
- 1/3 oz Platinum, Australian Platypus, Australia 2021
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Platypus, Australia 2021
- 1 1/2 oz Silver, Australian Platypus, Australia 2021
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Spotted Eagle Ray, Australia 2021
- 1 1/2 oz Silver, Australian Spotted Eagle Ray, Australia 2021
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2021
- 2 oz Silver, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2021
- 1/4 oz Gold, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2022
- 2 oz Silver, Australian Wildlife, Australia 2022
- 1/2 oz Platinum, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Australia 2022
- 1/4 oz Gold, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Australia 2022
- 1 1/2 oz Silver, White Bellied Sea Eagle, Australia 2022
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