2023 Beauty, Rich and Rare – Twelve Apostles 1oz Gold Coloured Proof Domed Coin

Of Australia’s many natural attractions – Uluru, the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park – Victoria’s Twelve Apostles stand out for their majestic and rugged grandeur.

These towering limestone stacks, formed by millennia of waves crashing onto the shoreline, are featured on the Royal Australian Mint’s new 2023 $5 Coloured Fine Silver Proof Domed Coin and 2023 $100 Coloured Gold Proof Domed Coin. Australia’s First Nations people likely had their own name for what we now call the Twelve Apostles, the cluster of towering limestone stacks on Victoria’s southern coastline.

These stunning columns were formed over thousands of years by erosion from waves crashing onto the shoreline, steadily eroding the softer limestone. At no time since European settlement have there been more than eight Apostles in the feature, now just seven following the collapse of one stack in 2005. How exactly they came to be the Twelve Apostles is still somewhat a mystery. English explorer George Bass named them the Sow and Piglets. Others called them the Pinnacles. The enduring name, the Twelve Apostles emerged in the 1880s.

The Twelve Apostles readily became a major tourist drawcard, especially after construction of the Great Ocean Road by returned serviceman from 1919 – 1932. It’s now Victoria’s most visited attraction.

Struck by Royal Australian Mint from 1oz of 99.99% pure gold, the coin is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965 and has a mintage of 750.

DESIGN

The reverse of coin features imagery of the Twelve Apostles amongst the eroding waters. It also features the inscriptions “TWELVE APOSTLES”, “BEAUTY, RICH & RARE” as well as the coins monetary denomination and 2023 year-date.

The coin’s obverse features the memorial effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II designed by Jody Clark as well as the weight and metal.

PRESENTATION

Each coin comes encapsulated inside of a black Royal Australian Mint box. Coins are packaged inside of blue-green Twelve Apostles themed packaging and is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Technical Specifications

ABOUT THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN MINT

The Royal Australian Mint is the sole producer of all Australia’s circulating coins. Opened in 1965 and situated in the Australian federal capital city of Canberra, in the suburb of Deakin, the Mint is also a very popular tourist destination for visitors and locals alike. Swan Bullion Company is proud to be an authorised distributor for The Royal Australian Mint’s bullion and numismatic products.