On Wednesday, The Royal Australian Mint released a new coin, The 2012 $5 Southern Sky ‒ The Crux Silver Proof Colour Printed Domed coin. The curved coin released in conjunction with Australia National Science Week and celebrating astronomy & engineering with the mint newest innovation. The coin have a domed shape that look like fit for it to emulate the night sky and feature the well known Southern Cross. Last year, the mint show a prototypes of the curved coin and they believe this coin will be snapped up very quickly because of its uniqueness and theming.
The coin design features the Crux constellation, otherwise known as the Southern Cross, which spans the domed surface of the silver coin like a celestial sphere. There are also navigational markers bordering the design, which point out where the viewer would face when looking up at the sky to get the best view of the constellation.
"An astronomical design was perfect for this coin and not only because of the dome shape, we also added colour to truly capture the essence of the night sky and bring it to life," said Mr Ross MacDiarmid, Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Australian Mint.
"The Royal Australian Mint has always been at the forefront of coin design and this latest coin release shows just how innovative and unique our products are," said Mr MacDiarmid.
"This is the first release dedicated to constellations visible in the Australian sky, and in this new age of space exploration, we look forward to bringing you more astronomically themed products in the years to come," Mr MacDiarmid said.
The 2012 $5 Southern Sky ‒ The Crux Silver Proof Colour Printed Domed coin, retailing at $110, is available now through the Royal Australian Mint.
For more information about these products please visit www.ramint.gov.au or contact the Call Centre on 1300 652 020.
