Description: In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment! Long SOLD OUT at the Perth Mint! Beautiful design, extremely low mintage (just 2,500), vibrant full color and the pugnacious TASMANIAN DEVIL make for a perfect numismatic collectible! The Perth Mint and Talisman Coins are proud to offer this unique and truly rare, pure silver Tasmanian devil coin, with a total of only 2,500 single silver dollars being issued! What's more, this is the seventh silver release in the extremely popular Celebrate Australia Program. This coin combines a highly popular animal motif with an aesthetically superior design, executed by renowned wildlife artist Elise Martinson. Add in the ridiculously low mintage limit, the pure silver and the proof finish with full color, and you've got a sure winner! The 8th and final release in the Celebrate Australia Silver Dollar Program has been issued! As such, it completes this popular, exciting, and low-mintage Coin Show series. Silver dollars in this program include: 1) Queensland, Great Barrier Reef & Sea Turtle 2) Victoria, Melbourne Train Station & Penguin 3) Northern Territories & Saltwater Crocodile 4) New South Wales, Sydney & Koala 5) Australian Capital Territory, Canberra & Cockatoo 6) South Australia, Adelaide & Wombat 7) Tasmania, Cradle Mountain & Tasmanian Devil 8) Western Australia, Perth & Kangaroo Tasmania Tasmania is both an Australian state and an island of the same name. It is located 150 miles south of the eastern side of the island continent, being separated from it by Bass Strait. The state of Tasmania includes the island of Tasmania, the 26th largest island in the world, and other surrounding islands. The state has an estimated population of 500,000 with almost half located in the greater Hobart area. Tasmania is promoted as the "Natural State" and the "Island of Inspiration" owing to its large and relatively unspoiled natural environment. Legally, almost 37% of the land in Tasmania is in reserves, National Parks and World Heritage Sites. The island measures 226 miles long from the northernmost point to the southernmost point and 190 miles from west to east. The capital and largest city is Hobart. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Site was established as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. This rugged landscape, shaped by glaciers, comprises parks and reserves representing one of the last large temperate wilderness regions in the Southern Hemisphere. The World Heritage Area is one of the largest conservation areas in Australia, covering almost 20% of Tasmania. The area constitutes one of the last expanses of temperate wilderness in the world, including the renowned South West Wilderness. The coin’s obverse depicts a full color panorama of Cradle Mountain National Park and the icy waters of Dove Lake. The design includes a Tasmanian devil, the official state animal, and the flowers of the Tasmanian Bluegum, its floral emblem. A Compact Bundle of Mayhem The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae now found in the wild only in the Australian island state of Tasmania. The size of a small dog, the Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial in the world after the extinction of the Tasmanian Tiger (thylacine) in 1936. It is characterized by its stocky and muscular build, black fur, pungent odor when stressed, extremely loud and disturbing screech, and ferocity when feeding. It is known to both hunt prey and scavenge carrion and although it is usually solitary, it sometimes eats with other devils. An analysis of mammalian bite force relative to body size shows that the devil has the strongest bite of any living mammal, over 5,100 psi! This is the same power that can be generated by dog four times larger, and in relation to body mass, the devil has a stronger bite than a tiger, allowing it to bite through thick metal wire. The power of the jaws is in part due to its comparatively large head and thick neck similar to that of a Great White shark. The teeth and jaws of Tasmanian devils resemble those of hyenas, an example of convergent evolution. In addition to its teeth, the devil has long claws that allow it to dig burrows and seek subterranean food easily and grip prey or mates strongly. The date that the Tasmanian devil disappeared from the Australian mainland is unclear; most evidence suggests they had contracted to three relict populations around 3000 years ago. However a tooth found in Augusta, Western Australia has been dated to 430 years ago, although archaeologist Oliver Brown disputes this and considers the devil's mainland extinction to have occurred around 3000 years ago. Because they were seen as a threat to livestock in Tasmania, devils were hunted until 1941, when they became officially protected. Since the late 1990s, devil facial tumor disease has reduced the devil population significantly and now threatens the survival of the species, which in May 2009 was declared to be endangered. Programs are currently being undertaken by the Government of Tasmania to reduce the impact of the disease. Phylogenetic analysis shows that the devil is most closely related to quolls (native cats), and more distantly to the now-extinct thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger). As the devil is the thylacine's closest relative, there has been speculation that the latter could be revived by combining DNA from museum samples of thylacines with ova of the devil. About The Artist The creator of the original artwork for both the coins and the colorful, outer boxes for the Celebrate Australia series is Elise Martinson. Elise is an Australian artist, graphic designer, and illustrator who loves animals (as you can see from her photo!). After studying multimedia design for four years and then working for year and a half as a graphic designer, she became eager to follow her dreams of creating 3D art for games or movies. Realizing that the limiting factor to 2D and 3D artwork was not software knowledge, but rather the ability to create concepts and accurately render them, she is now dedicated to further cultivating her drawing ability. Elise was formerly a resident of Melbourne, Victoria but now resides in Perth, Western Australia. Obverse A full color panorama of Cradle Mountain National Park and the icy waters of Lake Dove. The design includes a Tasmanian Devil, the official state animal, and the flowers of the Tasmanian Bluegum, its floral emblem. The legend TASMANIA denotes the theme, while the legend 1 OZ 999 SILVER guarantees the weight and purity. The Perth Mint "P" mint mark also appears. Reverse Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The legend QUEEN ELIZABETH II and denomination also appear. Packaging The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome taupe leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. Specifications Country Australia Mint Perth Mint of Australia Year of Issue 2010 Face Value One Dollar Weight 31.135 g Diameter 40.60 mm Gauge (Thickness) 4.00 mm Mintage Limit 2,500 Finish Proof with Color Composition .999 Fine (Pure) Silver Edge Reeded (milled, serrated) Artist Elise Martinson (obverse) Ian Rank-Broadley (reverse) Certificate Individually Numbered Copyright © 2022 Talisman World Coins and Medals. All Rights Reserved.
Price: 99.95 USD
Location: Saint Louis, Missouri
End Time: 2024-03-17T00:44:26.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Country/Region of Manufacture: Australia
Certification: New in original mint packaging as issued
Country of Manufacture: Australia (Perth Mint)
Grade: Proof Uncirculated
Type: Commemorative
Year: 2010
Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated Proof
Composition: Pure Silver
Denomination: $1 One Dollar