The debut of the Shipwrecks bullion coin series featured a couple of radical designs one would not normally associate with the conservative Royal Australian mint. This comes on top of the fact that the mint that had dithered about entering the bullion market and choosing a triangular format for the bullion coins sure is a bold one.
This is by far the very first time that the market has seen a triangular denominated bullion coin being issued by any mint anywhere. That by itself is worthy of much appreciation, especially among collectors. The theme of this range of bullion coins alludes to the many shipwrecks that occurred over the years near Australian shores. Many European shipping vessels from the major colonial powers never made it to land and got wrecked in the sea bed near the Australian landmass. Needless to say, many stories are surrounding these incidents. Therefore, it was fitting and thoughtful on the Royal Australian mint to come out with this commemorative series of bullion coins deviating from the usual trend of drawing inspiration from the Australian wildlife.
The reverse side of the coins has a unique two-way design. When viewed in a particular way, it depicts the inscriptions and a ship sinking below the waves, and when viewed another way, you see a ship in full sail moving across the seas. It may not have a great deal of intricacy on display but looks nice enough.
The obverse of the coin series is unique and interesting as well. It bears the image of Queen Elizabeth II, of course, which is standard for all Royal Australian Mint issued bullion coins but has also neatly integrated it with a customized piece of art related to a particular theme. Apart from the patterned border, there is also a lot of fine detailing present on the coin. The end product is really a coin that stands out for its uniqueness, saying a lot for the bullion market.
This Australian shipwreck series coin has two one troy ounce formats-the 0.999 silver with a limited mintage of 200000 units and the exceedingly rare gold one with only a 250 piece mintage. Both of them are well presented in a capsule. Interestingly, an antique silver version of both designs is released, with one being already available. Both of these are quite something to look at, and with 1000 pieces available, it is quite an opportunity for fans of the series to get their hands on these.
On the flip side, there won’t be more than four issues of the series, and there is only one more new design and three more of the limited antique variants to come out. The well-known Hong Kong-based bullion dealer happens to be the exclusive distributor of this series of bullion coins. It’s a good choice of dealer, given that they specialize in the release of restricted mintage bullion coins. This particular release sure is a cool set of coins out in the market, and it really would be very nice if the series could be revisited in the future, albeit in another format.
Batavia
For the first time in bullion, the series will feature coins that are triangular-shaped in size. The ill-fated Batavia, one of Australia’s oldest shipwrecks, is depicted on these magnificent gold and silver triangular investment coins as the first in the series of four. The design depicts the harrowing story of the Batavia’s wreck and the events that followed. These products are both a stunning investment and a commemoration of Australia’s maritime heritage.
The exquisite design of the reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the Batavia. With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Batavia is shown setting sail in its full glory. Flipping the coin to view the text of ‘1629’ and ‘Batavia’ upright depicts the ship in its final state capsized shortly after wrecking in 1629. The border encompassing the main design also incorporates unique design elements from the Batavia. The obverse design depicts the fighting between the survivors as a result of the mutiny and the Batavia before its ultimate demise.
Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon)
The second release in the Australian Shipwreck series featuring the Vergulde Draeck (Gilt Dragon).
The exquisite design of the reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the Gilt Dragon. With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Gilt Dragon is shown setting sail in its full glory. Flipping the coin to view the text of ‘1656’ and ‘Vergulde Draeck’ upright depicts the ship in its final state capsized shortly after wrecking in 1656. The obverse design depicts scenes from the dramatic story of the Gilt Dragon before its ultimate demise.
Zuytdorp
The third release in the Australian Shipwreck series featuring the Zuytdorp.
The exquisite design of the reverse conveys two scenes to communicate the journey of the Zuytdorp. With the image of the ship viewed upright, the Zuytdorp is shown setting sail in its full glory. Flipping the coin to view the text of ‘1712’ and ‘Zuytdorp’ upright depicts the ship in its final state capsized shortly after wrecking in 1712. The obverse design depicts scenes from the dramatic story of the Zuytdorp.”
Specifications:
| Purity | 0.999 Silver | 0.9999 Gold |
| Metal Content | 1 oz | 1 oz |
| Denomination | $1 AUD | $100 AUD |
| Diameter (mm) | 33.9 | 33.9 |
| Condition | Brilliant uncirculated/ Antiqued | Brilliant Uncirculated |
| Mintage | 20,000 (BU)/ 1,000 (Antiqued) | 250 |
The popular shipwreck series first made an appearance in 2019 on the partnership between the Royal Australian mint and LPM. The second and third coins were announced in 2020.
Thanks to countless sea voyages by explorers, colonizers, and others commemorating the huge number of maritime disasters that were part of settling Australia, these commemorative coins are a fitting tribute to the saga.
The shipwreck series is one of the most fascinatingly evocative bullion coins that both collectors and investors would be happy to own. What makes it more so is the triangular shape of the coins, which adds novelty to the world of bullion coins and would be a factor in choosing these over other kinds of bullion coins. The fact that these coins are of a limited mintage and the shipwreck series will not continue indefinitely makes their lure all the more enticing.
The Australian shipwreck series is definitely the top of the pops in terms of novel designs. It might make a good decision to invest in these while they last. Their unique designs sure will put a premium on them.
There are very few of these in the market that they may run out faster than one can imagine, and it would definitely be a good idea to go for them now. Like with other things in life, the early bird gets the worm.
