Two coins were issued by Perth Mint in the series “The Land Down Under” featuring James Cook.

5,000 of the 1oz silver proof coin and 1,000 of the ¼oz gold proof coin were minted.  With a face value of $1 they are legal tender, but cost a great deal more to buy.

The official description of the coins is

“The silver coin’s reverse depicts a seated portrait of Captain Cook and the HMS Bark Endeavour, within a map outline of Australia.  The inscription THE LAND DOWN UNDER and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark are also incorporated in the design.

“The gold coin’s reverse depicts a seated portrait of Captain Cook with the HMS Bark Endeavour in the background. The inscription THE LAND DOWN UNDER and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark also appear in the design.

“The obverse of both coins depict the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 2013 year-date and the monetary denomination.”

Ian Boreham

Originally published in Cook's Log, page 41, volume 36, number 4 (2013).