First published back in 1865, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll, it tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre. Now one of those novels with near universal recognition, it’s constantly in print in multiple languages, and has spawned myriad forms in other media, including a much-loved Disney animated movie, and a more recent CGI-heavy live action movie with an all-star cast.

The coin itself is in our view a superb mix of ideas and processes. Antique-finish, what looks like selective gilding, and an inset working clock all combined with a beautifully designed strike make this a real stand-out for us. Designed by Aleysha Howarth, it’s come out far better than we imagined, thankfully sticking with the original source material rather than the later movies. Nicely packaged in a nimbus frame, it’s more expensive than the usual Perth Mint fayre at $249.00 AUD, but looks worth every cent.

Also released is a one-ounce coloured silver coin, likewise designed by Aleysha Howarth. It’s a Perth Mint staple format and a decent, if unadventurous piece. Far cheaper at $99 AUD, it will likely sell well, but clearly the 2oz coin is the star this month. Available to order from today.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland follows the adventures of Alice, a young girl whose curiosity  is sparked when she sees a talking White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat, and carrying a pocket watch, run past her as she is sitting with her sister on the riverbank. She follows him down a rabbit hole, into the imaginative and chaotic world of Wonderland, which is populated by anthropomorphic animals and creatures.

This innovative clock coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 2oz of 99.9% pure silver and features an antiqued finish. Issued as legal tender under the authority of the Government of Tuvalu, no more than 2,500 of the 150th Anniversary of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 2015 2oz Silver Antiqued Clock Coin will be released by The Perth Mint.

REVERSE: The coin’s reverse features Alice, the Cheshire cat, and several playing cards around the edge, with the White Rabbit featured on the face of a clock in the middle of the coin. The clock design includes the inscription ‘Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

OBVERSE: A delightful rose design, the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, and the 2015 year-date are shown on the coin’s obverse. A quote from the book, “Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!” is also included on the back of the clock in a spiral form.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in a clear latex display case with a black border and a white pattern. It is presented in a colourful shipper which opens to reveal the coin and the numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

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COLOURED ONE-OUNCE SILVER

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland follows the adventures of Alice, a young girl whose curiosity  is sparked when she sees a talking White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat, and carrying a pocket watch, run past her as she is sitting with her sister on the riverbank. She follows him down a rabbit hole, into the imaginative and chaotic world of Wonderland, which is populated by anthropomorphic animals and creatures.

REVERSE: The coin’s reverse features Alice in Wonderland holding a bottle labelled ‘DRINK ME’ with the Cheshire cat and the White Rabbit. The inscription ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, ‘150 Years’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark also appear in the design.

OBVERSE: The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the monetary denomination, the coin’s weight and fineness, and the 2015 year-date are shown on the coin’s obverse.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in a classic grey display case, which is presented in an illustrated shipper and accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.