The Perth Mint embeds a 1.6bn year old diamond in its latest extravagant silver coin

In amongst the usual selection of proof and modified versions of their bullion ranges, the Perth Mint often drops in something a little different. This month it’s aimed more towards the higher end and takes the form of a five-ounce silver coin with a quite unusual design and some impressive looks.

Called Rare Earth, the reverse has been designed by an artist with a long history of working on Perth Mint coins, including some of Lunar Series I (the 2004 Monkey, for example) – Jovan Radanovich. A very heavily stylised piece of art meant to depict the formation of precious metals and gems in the Earths crust, we have to confess to finding it quite captivating with shades of Van Gogh in the sky, perhaps. The coin is rimless, which we’re big fans of, and the only inscription on this face is the coin title ‘RARE EARTH’.

Sitting in the centre of the the sun is a small (0.035 carat) yellow diamond. Diamonds are a staple of Australian mining and the inclusion of one is quite appropriate and certainly not gaudy or distracting. Its 1.6 billion year age is quite astonishing when you think about it. The whole coin, including the unadventurous obverse with its effigy of Liz, is antiqued and has a hand finish that results in each one having a unique look. It will be subtle for sure, but it’s a nice touch.

Packaging looks quite impressive and makes coin display a doddle. This is a quite unique-looking piece of coin art and while it carries a price approaching $600 AUD, you can’t help but feel it’s strangely worth it. That’s a statement that will have stackers reaching for their pitchforks, but this isn’t aimed at those buyers. Available to order now, the coin has a mintage capped at 1,000 pieces.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

With original artistry inspired by ancient forces that gave us brilliant treasures, the Rare Earth coin has been crafted from 5oz of pure silver and a natural golden diamond. Aged at 1.6 billion years, each handset jewel from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia’s spectacular Kimberley region represents the epicentre of a supernova, a stellar explosion like those that forged silver when our planet was formed.

The coin’s high relief reverse symbolises the creation of precious metals during an intense cosmic explosion. These elements were present when gravity slowly compressed the resulting dust and debris into new stars and planets, including Earth. This coin has been individually ‘antiqued’ to give it a unique finish conveying the surface abrasions of an ancient artefact. As a result of this treatment, the appearance of each coin may vary.
The design also includes representations of ancient lava flows and magma pipes which brought diamonds, formed under intense pressure and heat at great depth, to the Earth’s surface.

Thanks to a specialised surface treatment, the coin’s subtle and varying patina exhibits intriguing traces of elemental colour.

Adding to the coin’s splendour, the exploding star at the centre of the design is highlighted by a 1.6 billion year old golden diamond from the Argyle Diamond Mine in Western Australia’s spectacular Kimberley region.

Accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity, each coin is housed in a special black presentation box that parts centrally to reveal the treasure inside.