AUSTRALIA 2009
KOALA
1 Oz Silver Gilded Proof-like Coin in OGP
$1, 1 Oz (31.135g), 40.60 mm, .999 Pure Silver Coin with 24K selective Gold plating
The Australian Koala is a highly sought-after coin series featuring annual designs of the much-loved marsupial. The Perth Mint started the silver koala series in 2007 and started offering them in a gilded version in 2008.
The reverse features gilded Koala clinging to a tree branch with shimmering background. The coin’s obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, monetary denomination, and year of the issue.
|
Country |
Australia |
|
Year of Issue |
2009 |
|
Face Value |
$1 (AUD) |
|
Weight |
31.135 g |
|
Diameter |
40.60 mm |
|
Max mintage |
10,000 |
|
Finish |
Gold plated, Proof-like |
|
Composition |
.999 Silver |
|
Certificate |
Yes (#3409) |
|
Case/OGP |
Yes |
Koalas are one of the few iconic symbols strongly associated with Australia. They are indigenous only to Australia where they spend most of their life high up in Eucalyptus (gum) trees eating leaves. Most animals find the Eucalyptus leaves toxic, due to high content of phenols and terpenes, but the koala bear has adapted to neutralize these toxins with its specialized liver. Thus, Eucalyptus leaves are not only safe for them to eat but also represent pretty much their entire diet. Koala bears have a very low metabolism for a mammal, so they spend up to 20 hours a day resting and sleeping (and the resting is mostly eating).
Wrongly considered a bear, the koala is actually a marsupial. The females have a pouch in which they carry and nurse their young. The babies, called joeys, are only a quarter inch long when born, and enter the world hairless, blind and earless, so the safety of mother koala's pouch is a necessity for its first six months of life. For its second half-year the joey will generally ride on mom's back. The koala portrays an image of cuddliness, but appearances can be deceiving here, with long sharp claws for climbing they aren’t cuddly and can be quite vicious if provoked. Their bite too can inflict a serious injury.
Koalas are among Nature's most unusual and unique creatures. They are often thought to be silent, and they are most of the time, but males have a very loud mating call that can be heard from about one kilometer away during the breeding season! When attacked, koalas may issue a loud cry, which is often likened to that of a human baby. The koala bear is one of the few mammals (other than primates) that has fingerprints, which are remarkably similar to those of human - even when viewed with an electron microscope it can be quite difficult for an expert to distinguish between the two!
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