Perth Mint – Australia: Latest Silver Bullion Coins With Colour Features Family Of Wombats

First introduced into the Perth Mint’s range of Australian wildlife bullion coins in 2021, silver wombat coins have become a firm favourite with collectors and investors alike. For those not quite familiar with wombats, they are furry, short-legged, muscular four-legged animals that are native to Australia and surrounding islands, as well as the largest burrowing mammal in the world. Measuring about 1 metre or 40 inches in length with small, stubby tails, they weigh between 20 and 35 kilograms or 44 and 77 pounds. There are three extant species – the common wombat, northern hairy-nosed wombat and southern hairy-nosed wombat who are all members of the family Vombatidae. With powerful limbs and sharp flat claws, wombats are ideally built for digging rather than climbing trees. They are also herbivores, meaning they only eat vegetation. Some common meals for a wombat include roots, grasses, scrub, herbs and bark. They get most of their hydration from the foods they eat and can live years without drinking water. 

A group of wombats is known as a wisdom and who spend the majority of their time underground. Like kangaroos and koalas, wombats are marsupials which nurture its young inside a pouch. However, unlike its other marsupial cousins, the female’s specially adapted backward-facing pouch accessed from the rear as this anomaly protects its young during tunnelling. Although wombats are naturally very shy, they are inquisitive and have been known to become friendly with humans. Wombat handlers have observed they can be rather obstinate, and once their mind is made up, will stop at nothing to get what they want. 

Believe it or not, these cute, cuddly marsupials are also known for another interesting phenomenon unique in the animal world, and that is their six-sided cube-shaped droppings. First is the explanation of how is this done, then why will be explained further on. A team of US mechanical engineers and Australian biologist researchers have concluded that the varying elastic properties of a wombats’ intestinal walls allows for the cube formation. Unusual in nature but which they produce prolifically, wombats can “drop” between 80 and 100 cubes each night. Now the second part of the explanation of why is this particular oddity found in the world of the wombat. Well, everything in nature has a purpose, so does this and that important function apparently allows for wombats to pile their droppings high above ground as a way marking their territory and communicate through scent. Quite practically, the pellets’ flat sides enables them to be placed prominently on logs and rocks without rolling away, and thus, they are also more likely to catch the eye of a mate… nature can still surprise us all.

Designed by graphic artist Aleysha Howarth, the reverse side of the coin features an idyllic scene of an adult wombat and its ‘joey’ or offspring along with vegetation, gum trees, birds and clouds overhead. The inscription WOMBAT is placed above the primary design with the specifications 2024 1oz 9999 SILVER shown along the bottom rim. The mintmark P125 is shown to the upper right representing the Perth Mint’s 125^th anniversary. The coin incorporates an authentication feature in the form of a micro-laser engraved letter. Detectable under a magnifying glass, it is designed to deter counterfeiting of the coin significantly more difficult. The obverse side depicts the Commonwealth effigy of HM King Charles III created by engraver Dan Thorne. The denomination of 1 DOLLAR is included beneath the King’s likeness. 

Each Wombat 2024 1oz silver bullion coin is presented in an individual protective acrylic capsule. The silver and colour Wombat collector version coin is encapsulated and presented in a card folder with illustrations.  The coins are available through a network of international bullion distributors. For additional information and to find a local distributor, please visit the Perth Mint.