Australia: First series of 2023 entitled “Creatures of the Deep” launched, featuring memorial obverse

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The Royal Australian Mint has launched a new series entitled “Creatures of the Deep,” which rightly focuses on the wildlife which makes the underwater world their home. The 2023 new coin collection, which was chosen as the first coins to be minted in the New Year, highlights the collaborative voyages and significant scientific contributions made to better understand life in all our oceans. As Australia is both a continent and an island, the coastline is teeming with an array of species of wildlife, both unique and found only in Australian waters. Of particular importance to the series are the underwater discoveries made by CSIRO scientists aboard the research vessel Investigator. CSIRO, an acronym for Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, are the operator of the RV Investigator, an advanced ocean research vessel supporting Australia’s atmospheric, oceanographic, biological, and geoscience research from the tropical north to the Antarctic ice edge. With the assistance of the Investigator and its mechanically manipulated underwater vehicle, various species have been both discovered, and known species have been observed in their own habitat. For this series, CSIRO has contributed their expertise to showcase marine life that calls the southern and eastern coastline home.

Designed by Royal Australian Mint artisan Stevan Stojanovic, the reverse side of the coins feature the flagship vessel above the sea as well as the remote surface underwater vehicle. Also featured on this first coin is the spiny king crab, along with a stalk of gold coral. Other coins to follow in the five-coin series will feature underwater wildlife such as the bigfin squid, brittle stars, dumbo octopus and the cactus urchin. The stylised text CREATURES OF THE DEEP is placed to the right above the sea life depicted. The C mintmark, referencing Canberra, is placed under the commemorative text. For this series, a special obverse side is included. As an effigy for HM King Charles III has not been officially approved, the Royal Australian Mint has created a memorial obverse that features British engraver Jody Clark’s Commonwealth portrait of Queen Elizabeth II with one notable addition, the Queen’s years of reign, which reads as ELIZABETH II 1952-2022. The denomination 1 DOLLAR is placed below the late Queen’s likeness, and the year of issue 2023 is placed around the effigy as part of the legend. Since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, six effigies of the Queen have appeared on Australian coins. Developing an interim obverse allows the Royal Australian Mint to continue producing collectable and investment coins until there is an approved effigy of King Charles III. In the coming months, the Australian Government will announce details of the approval and transition to an effigy of King Charles III for all Australian legal tender circulating, collectable, and investment coins.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Mintage Limit
1 dollar	Aluminum-zinc	9 g	25 mm	Brilliant Unc.	Unlimited

Each of the five designs is presented in a sealed coin-card format with specifications, illustrations, and informative text pertaining to the underwater wildlife featured on the coins. For additional information, please visit the website of the Royal Australian Mint after the 2nd February.

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