Getting its name from the bird’s long, distinctively shaped tail, the wedge-tailed eagle is Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the biggest eagles in the world. Found throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, and southern Papua New Guinea, the bird has an impressive wingspan of up to 2.7 meters.
The eagle’s characteristic tail is visible even when gliding thousands of meters above the ground. Able to fly tirelessly for hours on end, the wedge-tailed eagle frequently reaches altitudes of more than 2,000 meters and has been recorded soaring as high as 6,800 meters above the ground.
The Australian Wedge-tailed Eagle 2019 1oz Silver Proof High Relief Coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 99.99% pure gold and issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965. No more than 10,000 of these coins will be released worldwide.
Design
Designed by John Mercanti, the coin’s superb high relief reverse depicts a magnificent wedge-tailed eagle in flight with wings fully extended and stylised rays of sunlight in the background.
The design also includes the inscription AUSTRALIAN WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE, the 2019 year-date, the coin’s weight and fineness, and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.
The coin’s obverse depicts the Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination.
Technical Notes
The coin’s high-relief reverse and obverse are minted on concave surfaces to ensure the optimum flow of metal is achieved by the strike of the die.
Designer(s):
Designer and engraver Jody Clark joined the Royal Mint UK in 2012. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth II became the fifth official portrait in 2015 (View Designer’s Profile).
This is the fourth wedge-tailed eagle design for The Perth Mint by renowned sculptor and engraver John M. Mercanti, the 12th Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint. Mercanti also created the reverse design of the American Silver Eagle bullion coin and has produced more coin and medal designs than any other employee in the history of the U.S. Mint.
Presentation
This coin is housed in a classic grey display case within a themed shipper and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
Coin Specifications:
| Country: | Australia |
| Year Of Issue: | 2019 |
| Denomination: | 1 Dollar (AUD) |
| Mint Mark: | P |
| Mintage: | 10,000 |
| Alloy: | .9999 Silver |
| Weight: | 31.107 g |
| Dimensions: | 32.60 mm |
| Thickness: | 6.00 mm |
| OBV Designer | Jody Clark |
| REV Designer | John M. Mercanti |
Keep up with all the latest coin releases from the world mints by clicking on CoinWeek’s World Coin Profiles Page.
