2020 - 2024 Great Southern Land Series Opal, Pearl, Lepidolite, Chrysoprase Silver 1oz Coins

Set of 4 Great Southern Land Silver 1oz set.

2020 - Opal

This beautiful coin features the great southern Australian continent in stunning Australian opal. Australia is the planet’s sixth largest country yet the smallest of the world’s continents. Evolving across more than 3,000 million years, it is also unique as the lowest, flattest and driest continent (after Antarctica) and home to a diverse range of climates, landscapes and animals.

Once recognised as the ‘unknown land of the south’, legends of Terra Australis Incognita date back to Roman times. The existence of this hypothetical landmass was based on the theory that continental land in the Northern Hemisphere was balanced by land in the Southern Hemisphere.

While depictions of Terra Australis on world maps varied greatly between the 15th and 18th centuries as explorers traversed the Pacific Ocean, British navigator James Cook is credited with producing the first charted maps of the east coast in 1770. The voyage of the British Royal Navy’s HM Bark Endeavour led to the documentation of several previously unknown species of flora and fauna that have come to define Australia. 

Struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.99% pure silver in proof quality, the coin is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.

The coin's reverse features a central opal insert in the shape of the Australian continent. The outer rim of the coin depicts representations of iconic land animals including the kangaroo, emu, koala, echidna, wombat, bilby, Tasmanian devil, frilled-neck lizard, goanna and the eastern brown snake. The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark is included in the design together with the 2020 year-date, and the coin’s weight and fineness. The coin’s obverse depicts the Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination.

2021 - Mother of Pearl

We present the second in the Great Southern Land series of unique silver collector coins. This time mother-of-pearl became the material used for the map of Australia placed in the center of the coin. This material is obtained from the shells of certain bivalves and snails. In terms of composition, mother-of-pearl is no different from the classic pearl, which has been a valued ornamental material for more than 6,000 years.

The reverse of this silver coin depicts the Australian continent, made of mother-of-pearl of exceptional luster. To emphasize the reception, the whole thing was placed on a black background. The whole is surrounded by a motif presenting the marine animals of Australia. The obverse of the silver coin presents the classic for coins from Perth Mint image of Queen Elizabeth II, but on an ornate openwork background. the coin was made to proof standard, and the whole coin is placed in an exclusive glass display.

2022 - Blue Lepidolite 

Struck from 1oz of 99.99% pure silver in proof quality, this spectacular coin from the Great Southern Land series features an Australia-shaped insert made from blue lepidolite

Great Southern Land is a popular series of collectables featuring map-shaped inserts made from minerals or other natural materials. Found exclusively in Western Australia, blue lepidolite is a lithium-rich mineral that has been used in jewellery, ornamentation and other decorative items.  The map-shaped insert is encircled by native flora motifs.  Also included on the reverse is the coin’s 2022 year-date and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

2024 - Chrysoprase 

This beautiful 1oz silver proof coin features an Australia-shaped insert of chrysoprase, an eye-catching green gemstone also known as ‘Australian jade’. Deriving its verdant colour from nickel, the gorgeously green insert perfectly epitomises the lush habitat and remarkable biodiversity of Australia’s rainforests.
Known by the familiar epithet ‘Great Southern Land’, Australia is an island continent of extraordinary landscapes and biodiversity. Among its most remarkable natural environments are the rainforests of northern and eastern coastal regions. Comprising tropical, sub-tropical and cool-temperate habitats characterised by high rainfall, lush growth, and dense treetop canopies, they support a rich array of Australian animals and insects, as well as thousands of plant species.
Struck by The Perth Mint from 1oz of 99.99% pure silver in proof quality, the coin is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.
The Perth Mint will release no more than 5,000 of the Great Southern Land 2024 1oz Silver Proof Chrysoprase Coin