Girt by sea

Known by the familiar epithet ‘Great Southern Land’, Australia is an island continent with a coastline extending for approximately 34,000 kilometres. Bordered in the west by the Indian Ocean and to the east by the Pacific Ocean, it also experiences tropical waters of the Timor, Arafura and Coral Seas, and the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. Providing a multiplicity of marine environments, the surrounding seas support an extraordinary diversity of wildlife.

Mother of pearl insert

The coin features a central mother of pearl insert in the shape of the Australian continent. It is encircled with depictions of iconic marine creatures found in Australian waters, comprising a sea turtle, seahorse, blue-ringed octopus, clownfish, starfish, stingray, and great white shark. As well as representations of marine plants, the design includes ‘P125’ mintmark signifying The Perth Mint’s 125th anniversary in 2024, and the coin’s weight, purity, and year-date.