BULLION BARS AND COINS
Released today, the latest silver bullion coin from The Perth Mint featuring dangerous Australian animals portrays a funnel-web spider.
At least 40 different species of funnel-web spiders live in south-eastern Australia. The most notorious is the Sydney Funnel-Web, whose venom is highly toxic to humans.
Funnel webs are medium to large spiders with a body reaching up to 5 cm in length. For anyone with arachnophobia they are one of the most macabre in appearance, ranging from black to brown with a glossy, hairless carapace covering the front part of the body.
The aggressive Sydney Funnel Web is regarded a one of Australia's top-ten deadliest creatures. Its fangs are said to be longer than a brown snake's and so powerful they can pierce toenails!
Not surprisingly, a bite is agonizing. The male's venom is about five-times more painful than the female's, making it the most likely candidate for at least 13 human deaths prior to the introduction of antivenom in 1981.
2015 Australian Funnel-Web Spider 1oz Silver Bullion Coin
This new bullion release portrays a large funnel-web spider. Struck from 1oz of 99.9% pure silver and issued as Australian legal tender, it has a mintage of 1,000,000 coins worldwide.
The 2015 Australian Funnel-Web Spider comes in protective tubes containing 25 coins, and in monster boxes of 20 tubes containing 500 coins.
Tubes cost $5.00 over metal per coin, with the price decreasing to $3.95 over metal for 500 coins.
The new coins are available from The Perth Mint to retail customers in Australia only. Please visit www.perthmintbullion.com (registration required) or call our bullion desk on 1300 201112.
The coins are available to customers worldwide from leading bullion coin dealers.
