Niue 2019 Wedge-Tailed Eagle Wildlife Up Close Oz Silver Antiqued HIGH RELIEF

Description

In Stock and Ready for Immediate Shipment!
SOLD OUT at the Mint!
TRULY RARE! Mintage just 750!
Get the FIRST coin in the new Wildlife Up Close Program of ultra high relief pure silver proofs! First up is the steely gaze of the Wedge-Tailed Eagle, struck in one troy ounce of pure silver, with an antiqued proof finish!
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle has a noble bearing. It has long, fairly broad wings, fully feathered legs, and of course, its unmistakable wedge-shaped tail. Because of both its tail and its size (it is one of the largest birds of prey in the entire world), it can be identified at a glance as a "Wedgie" even by a non-expert. We invite you to consider what kind of loss the demise of the endangered Wedge-Tailed Eagle would represent to the Land Down Under with this pure silver dollar.
This low mintage, one troy ounce pure silver coin presents the steely gaze of the predatory Wedge-Tailed Eagle in ultra high relief, with an antique finish! Talk about affordable investments -
the total mintage is just 750!
Get in on the ground floor now with this first this new series, Wildlife Close-Up!
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle is native to Australia. A subspecies is a landscape hunter with a wide distribution on mainland Tasmania, including its large offshore islands, along the coast and inland on the highlands.
The subspecies from Tasmania (
Aquila audax fleayi
) is listed as endangered by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). with fewer than 200 pairs left in the wild. Like the Thylacine, the eagle was once subject to a bounty in Tasmania, as it was believed to prey on livestock. Decreasing numbers of Tasmanian Devils may be beneficial to the Wedge-Tailed Eagles in Tasmania, as it could reduce competition for roadkill and devil predation on young eagles.
Female Wedge-Tailed Eagles weigh between 7 and 12 pounds, while the smaller males weigh between 5 and 9 pounds. The largest wingspan ever verified for any eagle worldwide was for this species - a female killed in Tasmania in 1931 had a wingspan of 9.3 ft (2.84 m), while another female measured barely smaller at 9.1 ft (2.79 m). Despite its great size and wingspan, powerful but slenderly built avian usually weighs less than several other species of large eagle.
The Wedge-Tailed Eagle nests in a range of old-growth native forests. Nests always occur in tall open forests. 95% of nests occur in emergent trees in old-growth eucalyptus forests. Wedgies usually pair for life. When courting and pair-bonding, the pair performs aerial displays. Courtship usually starts in June and by August the nest is ready for an egg. One or, less commonly, two, eggs are laid. Eggs are whitish-gray with a few brown spots. The period from hatching to fledging lasts 90 days, by which age a chick can feed itself. After fledging the juvenile remains near the nest for several weeks.
An Aerial Hunter
Wedge-Tailed Eagles are highly aerial, soaring for hours on end without wingbeat or effort, regularly reaching 6,000 feet (1,800 meters), and sometimes considerably higher. The purpose of this very high flight is unknown. Their keen eyesight extends into the infrared and ultraviolet bands. This helps them spot prey and allows them to see rising thermals, which they can use to gain altitude while expending little energy.
Most prey is captured on the ground in gliding attacks or (less frequently) in the air. Choice of prey is very much a matter of convenience and opportunity: since the arrival of Europeans, the introduced rabbit and brown hare have become the primary items of the eagle's diet in many areas. The Wedge-Tails can eat almost anything of a suitable size, live-caught or as carrion.
Wedgies display considerable adaptability, and have sometimes been known to team up to hunt animals as large as the Red Kangaroo, to cause goats to fall off steep hillsides and injure themselves, or to drive flocks of sheep or kangaroos to isolate a weaker animal.
Obverse
A close up portrait of the steely gaze of the predatory Wedge-Tailed Eagle. The legend WEDGE-TAILED EAGLE denotes the theme.
Reverse
Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl drop earrings, was executed by the sculptor Ian Rank Broadley. The legend ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear, while the legend 1 OZ 999 SILVER guarantees the weight and purity.
Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a luxurious, lacquered clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by an full color outer cardboard box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included
.
Image of the back side of the certificate is for general reference only. Serial number on image is NOT indicative of the serial number you will receive!
Specifications
Country
Niue
Year of Issue
2019
Face Value
One Dollar
Weight
31.39 g
Diameter
38.6 mm
Mintage Limit
750
Finish
Antiqued Proof
Composition
.999 Fine (Pure) Silver
Edge
Serrated (milled, reeded)
Artist
Ian Rank-Broadley (reverse)
Certificate
Individually Numbered
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