A tiny murderous spider was the first Australia’s Most Dangerous bullion coin, now it’s the turn of a giant murderous shark

The second of ‘Australia’s Most Dangerous’ bullion coins has now broken out and after dabbling in the arachnid world with the Red-back Spider, it’s the turn of the countries oceans to remind us of how unpleasant the fish can be! There’s quite a few contenders for the title, the seas off Australia being home to a variety of poisonous, venomous and just plain hungry critters, but you’re always safe choosing the Great White Shark.

This is a Royal Australian Mint offering, although one that is exclusively distributed by LPM in Hong Kong. The mint has really stepped up its presence in the bullion market of late, with some fine releases. The Red-back issue was a good looking coin, and this one here is a cool addition to the fledgling series. Sharks, like crocodiles, have always seemed harder to adapt successfully to a round coin shape, but this one has taken a view that works well.

Depicted bursting through the surface, an act known as ‘breaching’ (a documentary called ‘Air Jaws’ is well worth a viewing), this has allowed the back of the shark to remain hidden behind a large stylised splash. It’s a dynamic looking piece of work. The obverse remains a simple effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. Even though the RAM has played with enhance obverse designs of late, like the shipwreck series, they’ve played safe here.

As before, the choice of formats is a 1oz 0.9999 silver (25,000 mintage) or a 1oz 0.9999 gold (250). Both are super popular, so good choices. We noted last time that perhaps a ¼oz gold coin would be a good addition now gold has risen so high, but that applies equally to many other bullion ranges from various mints as well. All told, a nice addition to a promising series.

MINTS DESCRIPTION

In collaboration with The Royal Australian Mint, LPM is pleased to present the second release in the ”Australia’s Most Dangerous” series featuring the Great White Shark. These coins are created to the Mint’s highest standards with guaranteed metal content and quality.

The Great White Shark (Carcharodon Carcharias) is one of Australia’s most feared creatures, yet relatively little is known about them because of their elusive behaviour. Immortalised in cult classic, Jaws, the Great White Shark is the world’s largest known predatory fish and can grow up to six metres long. With up to 300 teeth across several rows and that replace themselves over the sharks lifespan, the Great White Shark tears its food into chunks before swallowing the pieces whole.

This apex predator is named after its white belly and features a grey upper body. Cruising at about 40 kilometres an hour, the Great White can propel itself up to 56 kilometres an hour in short bursts, such as when attacking its prey. They have been known to jump out of the water, breaching like a whale. While the predator has been found along Australia’s east, south and west coastlines, human interactions with the shark are relatively rare. With Great White Shark numbers thought to be decreasing, they are a protected species in Australia.