2004 Masterpieces In Silver

I bought the Kangaroo silver for a mere fraction of its value out of that set! I am a huge Roo lover and the fact I found the individual silver coin still thrills me to pieces! That coin will reside in the U.S. forever!!

They are a nice set of coins commemorating 20 years of the One Dollar coin in Australia 1984-2004. Mintage limit was 18,000 but the actual mintage was just 8,250. So there were only 8,250 silver proof Wombat dollars minted. Now that is not a lot of coins even by Australian standards.

The Wombat dollar was based on a design submitted for the 1984 issue so could be classed as a pattern design as was that of the artistic styled kangaroos dollar which also trialed a scalloped shape. The seven sided dollar was also a trial for that seven sided shape. The other two dollars are restrikes of the reverse designs of the 1994 (10th anniversary) dollar and the 1995 Centenary of Banjo Paterson's Waltzing Matilda (a very popular dollar design). The large silver Mob of 5 Kangaroos dollar bears the reverse design of the smaller standard dollar design adopted for the dollar coinage of 1984.

The 2004 Masterpieces in Silver set was only the second set to showcase all one dollar coins in silver, the first being the 1990 three coin set.

The only other Royal Australian Mint coins to feature a Wombat were the 1998 Endangered Species $10 silver and silver piedfort proof coins and the 2004 Primary School Student Design Competition 50 cent Australian Fauna which was issued into circulation as well as a carded uncirculated and a cased silver proof.

Cheers
Wayne

Thanks for the info Wayne....like always you have gone well beyond expectations.

I'm impressed by Brissyboy's thoughtful, informative post. So I had to look at the other wombat coins he mentioned.

First, let me say about the wombat coin in the 2004 Masterpieces in Silver collection -- the coin itself is much smaller than the picture of it I posted. It's about the size of a U.S. quarter. After looking at the other two wombat coins though, I still think it's the best design.

Here's the 1998 Endangered Species $10 silver coin:

The coin depicts the Northern hairy Nose Wombat, which is by far the most endangered species of wombat.http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_co...osed_wombat/

And here's the 2004 Student Design 50 cent coin (cupro-nickel). Not the best pic; the ones on the RAM's website look better:http://www.coinpage.com/coin-image-4890.html