Thursday, May 13, 2010

Australian sea life 1/2 oz silver proof Moray Eel

This month, Perth Mint is releasing Australian sea life 1/2 oz silver proof Seahorse, the last coin in the series. Three of the coins release in the same series before this (lionfish, leafy sea dragon and clownfish) has already been sold out, the Seahorse coin is still available. The coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1/2oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality. The Australian mottled moray (in Australia), and mottled moray (in New Zealand), Gymnothorax prionodon, is a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, found at depths down to 80 m. Their length is between 80 and 150 cm.
Moray eels are cosmopolitan eels of the family Muraenidae. The approximately 200 species in 15 genera are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water and a few, for example the freshwater moray (Gymnothorax polyuranodon) can sometimes be found in freshwater.[2] With a maximum length of 11.5 centimetres (4.5 in), the smallest moray is likely the Snyder's moray (Anarchias leucurus), while the longest species, the slender giant moray (Strophidon sathete) reaches up to 4 metres (13 ft). The largest in terms of total mass is the giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus), which reaches almost 3 metres (9.8 ft) and can weigh over 36 kilograms (79 lb).
The coin’s reverse portrays a Moray Eel in colour. Contrary to the impression given by its snake-like body, long sharp teeth and open-mouth, the Moray Eel is not an aggressive fish. Although capable of delivering a nasty bite, its mouth is generally open so that water can pass over its gills.The coin’s reverse includes The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, the coin bears the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the 2010 year-date on the obverse.

Technical Specifications:
Silver Content (Troy oz) 0.5
Monetary Denomination (AUD) 0.5
Fineness (% purity) 99.9
Minimum Gross Weight (g) 15.573
Maximum Diameter (mm) 36.6
Maximum Thickness (mm) 2.3

This coin is available online and no more than 10,000 Moray Eel coins will be released by The Perth Mint. Each coin is housed in a presentation case which comes in a colourfully illustrated box-shipper. When lined-up in release order, the shipper illustrations form a linked image depicting all five reef creatures. Each coin also accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Source: Perth Mint, Wikipedia

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