Silver Two Ounces 2021 Tears of the Moon, Coin from Tuvalu - detailed information

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 two-ounce format (abbreviated as 2 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.

The Mint says about this coin:
Drawing inspiration from Inca mythology and religion, this stunning silver release continues a line of extremely popular Perth Mint collectables featuring fascinating inserts.

Goddess of the Moon, Mama Quilla was an important deity for the people of the Inca Empire who portrayed her as a silver disk with a female face on it. Associated with the moon through numerous mythological stories, Mama Quilla was believed to shed tears of silver that fell to Earth and could be mined as precious metal.

The coin centre is filled by a Perspex dome containing silver particles suspended in purified white mineral oil - a metaphor for the tears of Mama Quilla, who is portrayed on the piece’s outer ring. The design includes representations of a panther and a serpent, hostile animals according to Inca mythology that tried to devour Mama Quilla during the lunar eclipse.

In keeping with the coin’s ancient theme, it has been antiqued, a treatment that tones the natural lustre of silver before it is individually hand finished to mimic the unique characteristics often seen on an ancient artefact. As a result of this treatment the appearance of each coin may vary.