Perth Mint Closes Out Successful Australian Sea Life Series With Moray Eel Coin

The Perth Mint has released the final of five coins to be included as part of its highly successful Australian Sea Life Series - The Reef.  The 1/2 oz. Silver Proof Moray Eel Coin became available on May 4th, 2010 and is sure to be a hit among collectors just like the previous coins.

This series of coins has proven to be in demand among many around the world for several reasons.  The first of which is obviously the subject matter.  Picking creatures known to reside in the reefs off of the coast of Australia immediately draws the attention of potential customers who have seen or would like to see some of them in their natural habitat.

Second, one attribute that the Perth is known for is its colorizing and the reverse of this coin is an excellent example.  The Moray Eel is portrayed in life-like color so as to almost jump from the coin on which it resides.

Third, the large 36mm diameter makes the coin unique for its size, especially for a 1/2 ounce silver coin.  For comparison, most of the Perth's one ounce coin have only a slightly larger diameter of 40.60 mm.  Obviously, the 1/2 ounce coins will have a smaller thickness to account for the difference.

Fourth, a limited mintage of only 10,000 makes these coins desirable just for their rarity.  Add in all of the coins purchased just by "tourists" for their "prettiness" and the collectability rises even higher.

It is hard to say for sure why this series of coins has been so successful, but one thing is for certain - the first three coins in the series (which debuted last year) have already sold out leaving only the Moray Eel coin and the recently released Seahorse coin available for interested buyers.

For reference, the complete series contains these five coins:

• 2009 Silver Proof Lionfish Coin - SOLD OUT
• 2009 Silver Proof Leafy Sea Dragon Coin -SOLD OUT
• 2010 Silver Proof Clownfish Coin - SOLD OUT
• 2010 Silver Proof Seahorse Coin
• 2010 Silver Proof Moray Eel Coin

As the Perth has sold out of the first three of this series, anyone interested in a complete set will have to turn to the secondary market to fill it.

A display box is available from the Perth for anyone who has collected the complete set.  It stores and showcases the illustrated shippers that the coins are shipped in and completes an almost aquarium design when put together.

Related World Mint Coins articles:

• Low Mintage 2010 Perth Mint Gold Proof Australian Sovereign Now Available
• Two New Colorful Silver Coins Available From the Perth Mint
• Perth Mint Releases 2010 Gilded Koala Silver Coin

Posted by World Mint Coins Staff on May 7 2010. Filed under Australian Coins, Silver Coins, World Coins. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry