Two years after the sale of a $100 Great Barrier Reef gold coin, Talisman Coins is offering a silver version.
Like the previous issue with the same design, weight and diameter, the 2022 Great Barrier Reef .999 $2 Fine Silver Niue Coin features a genuine saltwater pearl gemstone attached to the coin.
About the reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world, comprising over 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands spanning an area of approximately 133,000 square miles. The reef is located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Queensland in the warm tropical waters of northeast Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest single structure in the world made up of living organisms. The reef is composed and built by billions of tiny life forms, the coral polyps. The Great Barrier Reef is home to an incredible diversity of life and was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
Much of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps limit the impact of human activity, such as overfishing and tourism.
Other environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include contaminants from water runoff, climate change leading to massive coral bleaching, and cyclical outbreaks of coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish. Marine biologists estimate that 50% of the Great Barrier Reef has died since 1995.
Wildlife enhancement
The reverse of the coin showcases the reef coral imagery in both color and engraving.
An orange clownfish, neon damselfish, copperband butterflyfish (also known as beaked coral fish) and sea sponges are also in color.
Etched into the design is a giant clam (with a real saltwater pearl inside), starfish and sea sponges.
The obverse features Raphael Maklouf’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.
Features
Each piece is encapsulated and presented in a box accompanied by a color numbered certificate, and each piece is individually numbered on the edge.
The coin weighs 31.106 grams, measures 38.6 millimeters in diameter and has a mintage limit of 999 coins.
The part costs $149.95 each, with quantity discounts available.
To order or learn more, visit the company’s website, www.talismancoins.com.
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