February 21, 2019 – The Royal Australian Mint has issued the final release in its three-coin The Earth and Beyond series, which showcases our extraordinary planet and beyond.
Australia / 5 dollars / coloured fine silver proof / 1 oz. / 39.62 mm / Mintage: 5000.
Following on from the two previous domed coins in the series, which depicted the Earth and its Moon as seen from space, this new release celebrates the Sun – the heart of our solar system and the energy provider to all life on Earth.
Royal Australian Mint Chief Executive Officer Ross MacDiarmid says the convex shape of the Earth and Beyond coins adds depth and accuracy to the design. “The Earth and Beyond series is the first time the Royal Australian Mint has applied colour on the convex surface of a coin,” he said.
The Sun is one of the first three coloured domed coins the Royal Australian Mint has issued.
“We now complete this impressive series with a beautifully coloured and realistic depiction of the Sun on a domed convex surface.”
Struck from one ounce of fine silver, the obverse of the coin features Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s effigy sculpted by Ian Rank-Broadley surrounded by the planets of our solar system. The coin is displayed in a beautiful presentation case with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
For more information on this beautiful coin, visit the RA Mint shop and website.
The press release on the previous issue in this series, The Moon, is available on CoinsWeekly.
The National Geographic tells you more “the live-giving star of our solar system”.