2019-04-19 Fri

Perth Mint issued a Proof .9999 fine 1-ounce silver dollar and a Proof quarter-ounce .9999 fine gold $25 coin for Tuvalu celebrating the Wizard of Oz and Looney Tunes, respectively. The silver coin’s reverse side features Dorothy with the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion on the Yellow Brick Road, Emerald City in the background, movie title logo with ruby slippers, inscription CELEBRATING 80 YEARS and Perth Mint’s P Mint mark. The 31.107 grams coin has a diameter of 40.6 millimetres and a mintage limit of 5,000 pieces. It can be purchased for $115 Australian and comes in a display case with a clear lid. The case is covered in a themed shipper along with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

The gold coin featuring Bugs Bunny is the first in a new series dedicated to Looney Tunes. The reverse side features Bugs Bunny in his “What’s up, doc?” pose. His shoulders pop out of the rings of the Looney Tunes logo. Other inscriptions include BUGS BUNNY and the P Mint mark. The coin has a diameter of 20.6 millimetres and a mintage limit of 750 pieces. It can be purchased for $849 Australian and comes in a presentation box with a timber lid. The box is placed inside a themed shipper with a numbered certificate of authenticity. The obverse side of both coins feature an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, weight, fineness, year-date and denomination.

The 1939 movie Wizard of Oz is based on L. Frank Baum’s 1900 book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In this movie, a character named Dorothy Gale gets lost in the magical Land of Oz and tries coming back home to Kansas. She follows the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City and meets the fabled Wizard there. She also fights the Wicked Witch of the West with the help of Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. In the end, she realizes that it was a dream.

Bugs Bunny become one of the most loved animation characters after appearing in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies short films. It also became the official mascot for Warner Bros. Entertainment. The witty rabbit has also earned its place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Image Courtesy: Perth Mint