Get the seventh release in this innovative and extremely popular program! A nocturnal Rough-Scaled Python (rendered in GENUINE OPAL) greets a first quarter moon and Southern Cross on this proof finish, pure silver dollar piedfort (extra-thick coin)!

In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!

Opals are beautiful, translucent, and semi-precious gemstones. Gemologists consider the opal the uniquely Aussie gemstone - 95% of the world's opals are mined Down Under! Following hot on the heels of the sold out Treasures of Australia Program, the new and innovative Australian Opals Series features native, nocturnal wildlife, rendered in genuine, Australian opals! Each pure silver dollar is struck on an extra thick planchet (it is a piedfort) with a proof finish. Each animal greets a different phase of the moon as well as the Southern Cross, the renowned constellation or star group (which is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere)!

Each case has a battery operated light that turns on when the case is opened! This light simulates the moon shining down on the nocturnal animal, and can also be used to back-light the translucent opal panel in the center of the coin! Being part of an innovative new series, and with a very low mintage limit, we expect the Opal Rough-Scaled Python to sell out at the Mint rapidly! Read on for articles about opals; piedfort coins; and the nocturnal Rough-Scaled Python!

Availability Note - Given the popularity of previous releases in the Treasures of Australia Program, fast action is advised! A sell out at the Mint is likely for the Opal Rough-Scaled Python, just like for its predecessors: the Opals Series Koala, Wombat, and Kangaroo!

The Rough-Scaled Python
The Rough-Scaled Python is a dark brown reptile with pale brown blotches, a triangular head and a thin body. Their scales have ridges along the middle giving them a rough, sandpaper-like feel. This non-venomous python kills its prey by constriction.

An Unique Gemstone
There is nothing else in the world like opals - so beautiful and distinctive that they have necessitated an adjective just to describe them: opalescent. Opal is Nature's own kaleidoscope, with its ever-changing, prismatic rainbow of colors that shimmers and shifts as the light strikes from different angles. This lustrous, multicolored, iridescent light show has impressed humanity since antiquity. The desirability of opals is all the more augmented by the rarity of the milky white variety, such as are contained within this coin. Of course, the desirability of this coin is also augmented by its marriage of precious, pure silver with these unique gemstones!

Gemologist consider the opal the quintessentially Aussie gemstone. One reason for this is that about 95% of the world's opals are mined in Australia. So synonymous with the Land Down Under have opals become that it is the official gemstone of the Commonwealth of Australia!

Please see the articles later in this presentation (after the blue Specifications box) for more information about and pictures of Australian opals!

What is a Piedfort?
Hard to find and popular with collectors for more than a century, piedforts are highly sought after. We get asked all the time, "What is a piedfort?" There are two different, but related, stories of the origin of the word "piedfort". The first says that it literally means "strong foot" in French (from pied, foot and fort, strong). The second says this word was appropriated by the mint centuries ago to mean "heavy measure" or "heavy weight". In both cases, the sense of serious heft to the coin is obvious.

Often the word "piedfort" is translated as "double-thick", but this is neither a literal translation nor a precisely accurate definition. Numismatically speaking, any coin that is 50% or more thicker than a standard version qualifies as a piedfort, although some piedforts are, indeed, twice as thick as normal.

Finally, the age-old question, "How is the word pronounced?" Coming from French, it is not pronounced as it is spelled; that is, don't say, "pide - fort". Rather, "pee - ay - four" (three syllables) is a good approximation.

Obverse
A nocturnal Rough-Scaled Python, rendered in pure Australian opal! The snake is surrounded by native flora, including fern fronds. A first quarter moon and the constellation of the Southern Cross indicate that it's night time. The Perth Mint's "P" mint mark is judiciously placed at the 5:00 position near the rim. The legend ROUGH-SCALED PYTHON defines the theme, while the legend 1 OZ 999 SILVER guarantees the weight and purity. The date of issue is also indicated.

Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley. The legend ELIZABETH II and the denomination also appear.

Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a handsome taupe leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. Each case has a battery operated light that turns on when the case is opened! This light simulates the moon shining down on the nocturnal animal, and can also be used to back-light the translucent opal panel in the center of the coin! An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

The Andamooka (Queen's) Opal
One of the largest and most famous opal stones is the Andamooka Opal, also known as the Queen's Opal. In 1954, a search for the finest opal in the world was initiated by the government of South Australia. After an extensive quest, the Andamooka Opal was discovered in the South Australian opal fields, near the historic opal mining town from which this magnificent gem derives its name.

The Andamooka Opal was cut and polished by John Altmann of Sydney to a weight of 203 carats. It displays a magnificent array of reds, blues, and greens and was set with diamonds into an 18-karat palladium choker necklace. This one-of-a-kind ensemble was presented to Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her first official state visit to Australia, a gift truly fit for a queen! Today, the Andamooka Opal and its attendant pieces form part of Queen Elizabeth II's personal crown jewels.

Opal Fun Facts
• In ancient times, the opal was believed to represent both hope and purity.
• In the Middle Ages, opal was considered a stone that provided great luck because it was believed to possess all the virtues of each gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal.
• Opal is the traditional birthstone for those born in the month of October.
• The opal is often referred to as the "Queen of Gems".