2015 1 oz Silver Australia Perth Funnel-Web Spider

The design of the 2015 1 oz Silver Australia Perth Funnel-Web Spider BU coin is stunning in its fine detail. The Funnel-Web Spider is a great follow-up the 2014 release of the 1 oz Silver Australia Perth Saltwater Crocodile.

Australia is famous for its highly diverse native wildlife species. Everything from the koala and kookaburra to the kangaroo and crocodile appear on the silver bullion coins issued by Perth Mint. Although the funnel-web spider is one of the smallest creatures on the continent, it is nonetheless unique and worthy of note. Each of these coins contains .999 fine silver and carries a face value of $1 (AUD).

Highlights

Contains 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver.

Part of Perth Mint’s Wildlife series.

Obverse: Bears the Ian Rank-Broadley likeness of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the face value.

Reverse: Features a unique design of the Funnel-Web Spider. Also included are the inscriptions “Australian Funnel-Web Spider” the date, coin’s weight and purity, and the Perth Mint “P” mintmark.

Sovereign coin backed by the Australian government.

Individual coins come in a plastic flip. Multiples of 25 come in mint tubes. Multiples of 250 come packaged in mini monster boxes.

History

There are 40 different species of funnel-web spiders in Australia, which are commonly broken down into Hadronyche and Atrax groups. The creatures vary in size from 1 to 5 cm in length. Both male and female spiders have coloring that includes black and brown, with a hard carapace over the head, light hair over the body, and a glossy appearance. The male funnel-web is more slightly built than the female.

Not all species are known to be dangerous, but several are renowned for their highly toxic and fast-acting venom. Funnel-Webs make their burrows in moist, cool, sheltered habitats, under rocks, in and under rotting logs, some in rough-barked trees. They are commonly found in suburban rockeries and shrubberies, but rarely in lawns or other open terrain.