Perth Mint Issues 2022 1oz High-Relief Wedge-Tailed Eagle Gold Proof Coin

This majestic Wedge-tailed Eagle silver coin, featuring artistry prepared exclusively for The Perth Mint by renowned US designer John M. Mercanti, showcases our ultra-high relief strike, a coining technique that offers an even greater three-dimensional aspect to the coin’s reverse design.

Named for its 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 Australian Wedge-tailed Eagle 2022 1oz Gold Proof Ultra High Relief Coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 99.99% pure silver and issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965. No more than 500 of these coins will be released worldwide.

Design

The coin’s ultra-high relief reverse portrays the head of a wedge-tailed eagle. Standing especially proud of the coin’s table, the artistry highlights the bird’s superbly effective eyes, which allow it to pinpoint prey from a great height, and a large, hooked beak. As well as the inscription ‘AUSTRALIAN WEDGE- TAILED EAGLE’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark, the reverse also includes the coin’s weight, fineness, and its 2022 year-date.

The coin’s obverse depicts the Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination.

Technical Notes

The coin’s ultra-high relief reverse is minted on a deeply concaved surface to ensure the optimum flow of metal is achieved by the strike of the die.

Designers

Designer and engraver Jody Clark joined the Royal Mint UK in 2012. His portrait of Queen Elizabeth II became the fifth official portrait of the British monarch in 2015 (View Designer’s Profile).

This is the seventh wedge-tailed eagle design for The Perth Mint by renowned sculptor and engraver John M. Mercanti, the 12th Chief Engraver of the United States Mint. Mercanti also created the reverse design of the American Silver Eagle bullion coin has produced more coin and medal designs than any other employee in the history of the U.S. Mint (View Designer’s Profile).

Presentation

This coin is housed in a deluxe timber display case within a themed, customised shipper and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

Coin Specifications