Was the Yellow Brick Road gold? The Perth Mint’s new celebratory coin is silver and out now.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, of which it took home two Oscars, The Wizard of Oz was a critically acclaimed 1939 American musical fantasy film based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Starring Judy Garland as Dorothy Gale alongside Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton, the movie was a commercial failure on its first release, but went on to greater success on its re-release a decade later, and is now considered one of the all-time great movies.

Now, eight decades later, the Perth Mint has issued a commemorative silver coin in celebration of its anniversary. One of the mints signature-spec coins, it’s a 1oz proof strike with selective colour on the reverse face. This is a hugely popular, if unadventurous format, and we’re not surprised at its choice. As the Austrian Mint found to its surprise a couple of years ago, coloured coins really resonate with the general buying public, even if seasoned collectors prefer their coins free of it. The Wizard of Oz is very much a subject that would appeal to the wider public.

Depicting the four main characters in colour, along with the Emerald City, home of the Wicked Witch of the West,  the design is simple and targeted to appeal to as wide an audience as possible. The big inscribed movie title, with its coloured red shoes, finishes of the look. The obverse is, as you would expect of a Tuvalu issue, the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II, in this case sticking with the Ian Rank Broadley artwork. This is a transitional year for the mint as it moves over to the new international version of the Jody Clark effigy.

Packaging is half way between an acrylic frame and a standard box, with a clear acrylic lid allowing easy display of the coin. A serialised Certificate of Authenticity will tell you which of the 5,000 minted you have. All is wrapped up in a neat themed shipper box. Available today for AUD $115.00, several of our sponsors sell these, so check them out if you’re interested. One for the Wizard of Oz fan, of course.

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MINTS DESCRIPTION

This exciting new licensed release celebrates the 80th anniversary of one of the most beloved movies of all time, The Wizard of Oz. Based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the 1939 film follows Dorothy Gale, played by Judy Garland, as she is displaced to the magical Land of Oz and journeys home to Kansas. While following the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City to meet the fabled Wizard, she battles the Wicked Witch of the West with the help of her new friends the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. Upon returning home, she discovers it was all a dream.

DESIGN: The coin’s reverse depicts Dorothy with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion on the Yellow Brick Road with the Emerald City in the background. Also included in the design is The Wizard of Oz logo which includes the ruby slippersTM, the inscription ‘CELEBRATING 80 YEARS’ and The Perth Mint’s traditional ‘P’ mintmark. The coin’s obverse depicts the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the weight and fineness, the 2019 year-date and the monetary denomination.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in a classic display case with a clear lid. Packaged within a themed shipper, each coin is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity.

SPECIFICATION
DENOMINATION $1 TVD (Tuvalu)
COMPOSITION 0.9999 silver
WEIGHT 31.107 grams
DIMENSIONS 40.6 mm
FINISH Proof
MODIFICATIONS Colour
MINTAGE 5,000
BOX / COA Yes / Yes