2016-12-27 Tue

The third and final coin of the Northern Sky series by the Royal Australian Mint was released for sale on 5th December. On the first day of the sale itself, the coloured coins depicting star constellations were declared “sold out.”

The latest coin features “Cygnus” a northern sky constellation on the plane of the Milky Way. The name of this most visible constellation of the Northern Hemisphere comes from the Latinized Greek word for “swan”.

Known for its northern cross, Cygnus is the 16th largest of the 88 modern constellations, discovered by the second-century astronomer Ptolemy. The legend says that Zeus wooed Leda by disguising himself as a swan. Their children were immortalised in the sky as swans.

The concave reverse of the 2016-dated $5 Cygnus coin features stars aligned to form the Northern Cross against a blue-and-green background and a rocky terrain. The convex obverse features the common portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The Proof one ounce .999 silver coin comes in an elegant presentation box with an official certificate of authenticity.

The earlier issues of the same series feature Cassiopeia and Ursa Major constellations which were also sold out quickly.