Silver Coin Next Generation - Kangaroo 2 Oz 2023 Piedfort

Next Generation - Kangaroo 2023

The investment coins, minted by the Australian Perth Mint, are among the most popular coins in the world. In 2018, the Mint launched a new Next Generation series to the investment metals market. Each issue will successively introduce a representative of an Australian wildlife species with a motif representing the arrival of a new generation - a cub and its mother. The investment coins are struck in 2 Oz (62.2 g) Piedfort double-strength silver of the purest 99.99% silver. The sixth coin in the series, released in 2023, features the kangaroo, an Australian endemic marsupial.

The reverse of the coin depicts a baby kangaroo and a female kangaroo supervising its first steps towards independence. The background of the coin consists of micro-engraved radial lines, which combine both an aesthetic and protective element. The motif is complemented by the Perth Mint's 'P' mint mark and the artist's initials 'MR'.
The kangaroo is an inherent symbol of Australia. More than 50 species of the kangaroo family inhabit the vast deserts, rainforests, rocky areas, as well as trees. Kangaroos have strong hind legs that work like springs and the bouncing motion does not cause them significant effort even over long distances. The speed of large species can reach more than 60 km/h. The powerful tail serves as a fifth limb, stabilising slow movement, for example when grazing. The short front legs are used as herbivores to dig food out of the ground.
Kangaroos are unique in giving birth to their young. Females are pregnant for a maximum of 38 days. After giving birth, the undeveloped baby moves under its own power into a pouch on its mother's abdomen and attaches itself to the pod. It spends the next few months in the pouch until it hatches and matures. Only then does it begin to leave the pouch, but it continues to stay close to its mother until it is 2 years old.
Australia is currently dealing with an overpopulation of kangaroos, which have no enemies in their natural habitat. There are an estimated 50 million individuals on the continent, double the country's population. The government has encouraged Australians to increase their consumption of kangaroo meat, but they have a reluctance to eat the national symbol, so kangaroo meat has become primarily a tourist attraction. Historically, however, this has not been the case. For the indigenous people, the kangaroo was not only their main source of food, but they were also able to make the most of all its parts.

The obverse, against a background of micro-engraved radial lines, 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", the weight and purity of the metal and the face value.

This product is part of the following product sets: