Black swan Maali 2022 | 2oz silver | Australia

Black swan Maali 2022, Australia 2oz antiqued coloured silver coin
 
This first of its kind 2oz silver antiqued coloured coin features an original coloured painting of a black swan by Kevin Bynder, a proud Whadjuk-Yuet-Ballardong man.
 
Kevin is a passionate artist and teacher whose diverse portfolio of vibrant and striking works includes many Indigenous guernsey and shirt designs for high-profile sporting franchises, as well as murals in both public and private spaces in and around Perth. Kevin’s works are inspired by Western Australia’s natural environment and reflect the history and knowledge of his people who have lived on Nyoongar country for tens of thousands of years.
 
Widespread throughout much of Australia, the black swan (Cygnus artratus) is of spiritual significance in the ancestral stories of many First Nations Australians. In the south west, where the Nyoongar (also Noongar, Nyungar) people are traditional custodians of the land, the majestic waterbird is often referred to as maali.
According to local lore, maali was once a vain and boastful white feathered swan. In punishment for its conceit, waalti, the eagle, ripped out maali’s cherished feathers. Fortunately, ravens took pity on the distressed bird, disguising it with black feathers from their own plumage. Like the black swans in their wetland habitats today, maali retained some white wing feathers which only become visible in flight.
 
The coin is struck by The Perth Mint from 2oz of 99.99% pure silver and issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.
 
The coin’s reverse design represents maali descending on water with its enormous wings stretched skywards. The background is formed by stylised patterns of coloured dots inspired by a palette of ochre pigments used by Indigenous artists through time – reds and browns for the landscape, blues, greens and other hues for the water and its currents. Included on the reverse is The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.
 
The coin’s obverse portrays the Jody Clark effigy of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Also included are the coin’s weight, purity, denomination and year-date.