The Bottlenose Dolphin is one of the most popular of the marine species with children and adults alike. Because of the
upturn at the sides of its mouth they always give the appearance of smiling. They are also famed for their intelligence and
are trained for use in displays for audiences to see and so became endearing too. They communicate through a series of squeaks
and whistles and use these in the same way that sonar works underwater to locate objects of interest. It is known that in
captivity, they can live for 45 to 50 years
(National Geographic, 2014)
.
This commemorative coin honours the intelligent and graceful animals that can be seen jumping out of the waters of the
Pacific Ocean, close to the Australian coast. It is one of the first coins issued by the RAM to feature an image made completely
from colour, thanks to the use of state of the art pad printing techniques. The colour adds a bright and fun quality to the
coins and they proved to be particularly popular amongst younger collectors. This
uncirculated one dollar Bottlenose Dolphin coin is intended for collectors with the hope of catching the interests
and attention of a younger audience. This coin is the second in a series dedicated to Australian ocean life that was released
by the Royal Australian Mint over two years, between 2006 and 2007. The other marine life that accompanied this coin in the
series includes the clown fish, the biscuit starfish, the bannerfish, the white shark and the seahorse. Each of the coins
were issued individual and were encapsulated and presented on a card with colourful photographs of the featured marine life
as well as fun facts and relevant information.
This particular coin pays tribute to the Bottlenose Dolphin and the reverse
designed by Tony Dean, features two of the majestic mammals jumping out of the water with a splash. Deep blues and greens
are used to create the beautiful colour of the ocean. Also featured is the clear blue skies, dotted with white clouds. Beneath
the image is the only legend, the denomination of 1 DOLLAR which has been struck into the planchet. The
obverse features the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II as well as the traditional
legend
found on all Australian 1 dollar coins, which reads ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2006.
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