Gold Coin Australian Antarctic Territory - Humpback Whale 1 Oz 2023

Australian Antarctic Territory 2023 - Humpback Whale

Minted by the Royal Australian Mint in 2023 in the purest 99.99% gold purity and weighing 1 Oz, this gold investment coin is released as part of the Australian Antarctic Territory series, which showcases Australia's inhospitable Antarctic Territory through its resilient animal inhabitants. The humpback whale was chosen for the second coin in the series.

The reverse of the coin depicts a small group of adult and juvenile humpback whales in the icy waters off the coast of Antarctica. The cut of the image simultaneously follows the action above and below the surface. The humpback whales are depicted in positions that best showcase their distinctive body shape with long pectoral fins and prominent throat grooves. There is also a spectacular leap followed by a powerful smack of the pectoral and then the caudal fin against the surface. The lightly stylized motif is completed by cloud elements and the dividing line of the sea is accompanied by an undulating contour. At the top of the coin the inscription "HUMPBACK WHALE" with information about the weight and purity of the metal "1 oz .9999 GOLD". The initials of the designer "AWB" are included.
Australia's Antarctic Territory consists of two separate spherical triangles in the eastern part of Antarctica, extending from the 60th parallel south to the South Pole, where they meet. They are separated by Adelaide Land, part of the French overseas territory. The Australian Antarctic Territory officially accepted the Dominion of Australia from the British Empire in 1936. A thick layer of ice covers the uninhabited area, which is permeated by snow-capped mountains and ranges. The harsh climate, with its bitter cold and bitter icy winds, allows life on the border with the Southern Ocean.
The humpback whale, known as the singing whale, inhabits the oceans in both hemispheres. However, the behavioural patterns and regular migration of humpback whales vary depending on the alternation of summer and winter months and are therefore opposite in the two regions. They are among the record holders in the length of their migration routes with a recorded distance of 17,000 km. Scientists have not yet unlocked the secret of humpback whale navigation, but they have confidently confirmed the habit of returning to the same places, which they can determine with a deviation of only 1°. In the southern hemisphere, they spend the warm months in the cold Arctic waters. Here, they take advantage of the abundant food available to obtain the necessary fat reserves to travel north. They mainly hunt Arctic krill, which they scoop into huge mouths with seawater. They capture the tiny spawn of marine crustaceans in a dense sieve of bones in quantities of more than one tonne a day.
As the winter months approach, humpback whales and their young move to the Australian coast along a route of around 3 000 km. The young are thus protected from freezing waters and predators. Adults head for courtship and breeding grounds. During the mating season, the males produce a colourful song that carries for miles.

The obverse shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark with the initials 'JC'. The portrait on the coin's rim is accompanied by the name "ELIZABETH II", the years of the monarch's reign "1952 - 2022", the name of the state "AUSTRALIA", the year of issue "2023" and the face value.

The coin has the status of Australian legal tender and comes in a collector's box. The mintage is extremely limited to 250 pieces for the entire world!

This product is part of the following product sets: