| Coin | Silver Ounce 2011 Deadly and Dangerous - Red-Back Spider (Russian) |
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The Tuvaluan Dollar is the currency of Tuvalu - a small nation in the Pacific Ocean. Tuvalu has never had banknotes of its own, and has been issuing coins since 1976; these circulate together with coins of the Australian Dollar, which is also legal tender in the country, and to which the Tuvaluan Dollar is pegged.
The Australian Perth Mint issues a large variety of non-circulating legal tender coins under the authority of Tuvalu. Some of these are in the silver ounce format (abbreviated as 1 oz). Strictly speaking, they are not bullion as they are priced at a premium and are targeted at collectors who appreciate them for their artistic merit and collectable value and not just for their precious metal content.
This coin is part of the Deadly and Dangerous series featuring native Australian animals, and is a Russian variant of the first issue, showing a Red-Back Spider.
The reverse design is smaller than the original, and has a Russian inscription and the Latin name of the spider in the outer rim. |
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| Obverse | |
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The obverse of the coin shows the crowned bust of Queen Elizabeth II, facing right (her effigy known as the "Third Portrait"). The Queen is wearing the royal diadem which she used to wear on her way to and from the State Opening of Parliament, a pearl necklace and earrings.
Incuse in tiny letters on the neck truncation, the designer's initials RDM (for Raphael David Maklouf).
Around, the monarch's legend, the face value and the date of issue: QUEEN ELIZABETH II 1 DOLLAR TUVALU 2011.
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| Reverse | |
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The reverse of the coin is coloured and shows an Australian Red-Back Spider in its web, with three smaller spiders below.
In the outer rim around above, the Russian name of the spider: Красноспинный паук. Around below, the precious metal content 1oz 999 SILVER (one ounce of 99.9% silver) followed by the Latin name of the species, LATRODECTUS HASSELTI.
The face value and date of issue are on the obverse. |
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| Reverse Inscription |
Красноспинный паук 1oz 999 SILVER LATRODECTUS HASSELTI |
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| Edge | Milled | Edge Inscription | None |
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| Notes | Finish: proof, coloured.
Packaging: in presentation box with illustrated outer shipper, and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, with Russian and English text.
The mint calls the earlier coins in the series a "Commissioned Product" with no further information on who commissioned it; uncharacteristically (probably reflecting this fact), there is no mint mark on the coins either. There is no available primary information on this series; it seems that the coins are commissioned by the Australian company Downies, with the silver coins being struck by the Perth Mint and the gold coins in the series (some with the same designs) by PAMP. |
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