Perth Mint — Australia: Silver Proof coin with inlaid mother of pearl feature highlights the Great Southern Land

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The Perth Mint has released new silver Proof coins with the added feature of an inlay crafted from genuine mother of pearl, which highlights the country’s cultured pearl industry. Australia’s coastline extends for approximately 34,000 kilometres (more than 21,000 miles). The coin design also refers to the “Great Southern Land,” which was a popular reference to a continent originally coined in ancient Europe to describe a predicted large southern landmass.

The coin’s reverse is designed by Aleysha Howarth, whose primary motif is an insert hand-crafted and fashioned from iridescent mother of pearl into the shape of the “Great Southern Land,” or Australian continent. The insert is encircled with relief representations of iconic marine wildlife found in Australian waters, including a great white shark, sea turtle, seahorse, blue-ringed octopus, starfish, and stingray. Included on the reverse are the coin’s weight, purity, and year-date along with the Perth Mint’s “P” mintmark. The Commonwealth effigy of HM Queen Elizabeth II created by British engraver Jody Clark is seen on the obverse along with a background of rays extending towards the coins’ lettering placed around the Queen’s portrait. The denomination of 1 DOLLAR is included beneath the Queen’s likeness.

Denom.	Metal	Weight	Diameter	Quality	Maximum Mintage
One dollar	.9999 Silver	31.1 g	36.6 mm	Proof with pearl inlay	5,000

As each inlay is made out of natural mother of pearl, every coin is unique. The coin is housed in a classic display case with a clear lid. Packaged with an illustrated shipper, each coin is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity. Perth Mint products are available through their retail website and also through a network of independent dealers and distributors.

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