NZL Southern Right Whale
| NZL Right Southern Whale | |
|---|---|
| Metal: | 99.9% Ag |
| Edge: | corrugated |
| Embossing years: | 2009 |
| front | |
| Motive: | Right Southern Whale (southern right whale) |
| Designer: | Ken Wright |
| back | |
| Motive: | Elizabeth II |
| Designer: | Ian Rank-Broadley |
The NZL Southern Right Whale coin is a bullion coin made of silver . The coin was produced by the New Zealand Mint in 2009 with a mintage of only 11,500 pieces. The bullion coin owes its name to the southern right whale, a species of whale that can be found around New Zealand and is called "Southern Right Whale" there. The coin was only released in one troy ounce (1oz) silver variant and thus differs from other well-known bullion coins such as the Vienna Philharmonic silver coin , the Silver Eagle or the Maple Leaf silver coin.
background
The southern right whale (Eubalaena australis) is a whale species that can only be found in the southern hemisphere. Its distribution area extends around the entire earth, but only in the area between the 20th and 55th parallel. The southern right whale is relatively easy to identify due to its missing fin and the skin growths around the blowhole and eye. It was one of the first species of whale to be systematically hunted. The curiosity, sociability and indolence of the animals made the hunt for them easy and their body size promised the hunters a rich yield. The whales reach an average length of 15 meters and weigh between 50 and 56 tons. The intensive hunt for the southern right whale meant that the animals were on the verge of extinction in the first half of the 20th century. Only with a hunting ban that began in 1937 did the population of this whale slowly recover. Even today, the total number continues to rise and it is estimated that around 7000 specimens are now back in the seas. The NZL Southern Right Whale silver coin is dedicated to the successful rescue of the southern caper.
front
On the obverse of the NZL Southern Right Whale coin the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II is stamped. As the head of state of all Commonwealth countries , she is also the highest representative of New Zealand and is therefore depicted on the country's official coins. The image of the Queen herself was created by the British sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley, who is also responsible for the appearance of various other British coins. On this side of the coin, the number 2009 also shows the year the coin was struck.
back
On the reverse of the coin you can see the whale from which the coin owes its name. The picture of the whale comes from the sculptor Ken Wright and shows the southern right whale from the front with its mouth half open. Much emphasis was placed on representing the proportions and size of this special whale species as authentically as possible. In addition to the whale, the Maori symbol is also stamped for new beginnings. The indigenous people of New Zealand symbolize the recovery of the population since the near-extinction of this species. The reverse also shows the face value of the coin of one New Zealand dollar. The coin is an official currency in New Zealand. However, since the material value alone is well over a dollar, the coin is not used in everyday payment transactions.
material
The NZL Southern Right Whale coin is made of 999/1000 purity silver . It is the highest level of purity that a silver bullion coin can achieve. The number says that 99.9% of the processed material is pure silver. There is exactly one troy ounce in the coin, i.e. approx. 31.1 grams, of silver. However, due to minimal contamination, the overall coin may be slightly heavier. The silver coin has a diameter of 40 millimeters and its edge is grooved to prevent tampering.
Other coins in this series
In 2009, not only was the NZL Southern Right Whale silver coin issued, but a number of other coins that deal with New Zealand's largest animals. This also includes the NZL Giant Eagle coin, whose motif is the Haastadler and which is also sold individually. The situation is different with the Giant Moa (large ratite) , the Colossal Squid (giant squid) and the Giant Weta (giant grasshopper) . They appeared in a five-piece set together with the two silver coins mentioned above.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Northern right whale and southern right whale (Eubalaena glacialis, Eubalaena japonica, Eubalaena australis). In: WWF -Artenlexikon. Retrieved April 29, 2016 .