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SILVER COIN MORAY EEL AUSTRALIAN SEA LIFE AUSTRALIA 2010

The final coin from the first Sea Life series portrays a Moray Eel, which can be seen emerging from reef hideaways in tropical and temperate waters around Australia. Like the previous four releases, this coin is struck from 1/2oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality. Issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965, just 10,000 Moray Eel coins will be released by The Perth Mint.

MORAY EEL - AUSTRALIAN SEA LIFE - 2010

The coin’s reverse depicts a Moray Eel in colour.
The reverse of each coin includes The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark. The Ian-Rank Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the year-date appears on the obverse of each coin.

BACKGROUND AND HISTORY


	Moray Eel (Muraenidae) Many fear the moray eel, a fish with a snakelike and scaleless body, and specie of the Anguilliformes family. In effect, it is widely known to be aggressive, dangerous and above all, real ugly! All the same, the diversity of its coat is at times worth comparing with the most beautiful printed fabrics: speckled, tattooed, freckled, stripped… and complete with a large range of colours: chocolate brown, off white, black, sandy yellow and even, scarlet blue. As for its size, it varies considerably from 25 centimetres for the ribbon moray to approximately 3 metres for the giant moray! picture of moray eel Indeed, its huge head, dark eyes and concave teeth are enough to make it look menacing, yet the moray eel attacks only if it feels threatened. If it tries to bite an imprudent diver, it is only as a self-defense attack. Its bites are not venomous even if made to believe otherwise at times. However, some species can inoculate a toxin secreted by the buccal mucous membrane. In spite of all this, the moray eel has also some loyal friends: it maintains a commensal relationship with small shrimps and wrasses known as "cleaners". These guests, like a lively toothbrush, will clean off, and at the same time feed on, parasites and scraps of food from the moray’s mouth. picture of giant moray eel with diver. Discreet and secret, the moray eel lives in tropical and warm seas, hidden in the rocky crevices and coral concretions, or within the various hideaways of a shipwreck, leaving only its pointed snout visible, with its mouth wide open, indeed not a very welcoming sight… picture of giant moray eel in a wreck It goes hunting especially at night, targeting with its keen sense of smell - which compensates for its poor eyesight - some weakened or dead fish, octopus, cuttlefish, squids and various other crustaceans; the importance of this necrophagous function is utmost, and, as such, our sea animal unknowingly plays a genuine ecological role in the proper balance of marine depths. Scheduled for individual release between September 2009 and May 2010, each coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 1/2oz of 99.9% pure silver in proof quality. All coins in the series: 2009 Lionfish 2009 Leafy Sea Dragon 2010 Clownfish 2010 Seahorse 2010 Moray Eel


		Issued as legal tender, the coin’s reverse portrays a Moray in vivid colour.
		The Perth Mint will issue no more than 10,000 coins of this series.
		Each coin is housed in a presentation case which comes in a colourfully illustrated box-shipper. When lined-up in release order, the shipper illustrations form a linked image depicting all five reef creatures.
		Accompanied by a Numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
		Perfect gift for those who love sea and nature.


	Metal:	Silver 999
	Country:	Australia
	Year:	2010
	Face value:	50 Cents
	Weight:	14,15 g (1/2oz)
	Diameter:	35 mm
	Grade:	UNC
	Quality:	Proof
	Mintage:	Limited edition of just 10.000 pcs