Shock value of new $2 coin

Anyone with a spare $2500 could splurge out on a limited edition Jewelled Turtle $2 coin.

The Perth Mint has released only eight of these precious metal collectable coins.

Each coin is crafted from 10 ounces of 99.99 per cent pure gold and features 113 rare Argyle Pink Diamonds, 57 natural white diamonds and two emeralds.

The Perth Mint’s minted products general manager, Neil Vance, said the Jewelled Turtle coin will be highly sought after by rare coin collectors.

“The Perth Mint products continue to resonate with collectors worldwide,” he said.

“We have been operating for 125 years and it is our constant commitment to craftsmanship, innovation, new finishes, quality packaging and limited mintages that makes our products highly sought after by numismatic connoisseurs year after year.”

It’s the seventh instalment in the Mint’s exclusive Jewelled Series and the first to showcase a diamond-embellished sea creature as its centrepiece.

Each Jewelled Turtle coin features the an 18-carat gold sea turtle surrounded by depictions of coral and dory fish, with 52 white diamonds adorning the turtle’s head and limbs, and two emeralds for its eyes.

The incredible Argyle Pink Diamond is set at the heart of a stylised sun in the collectors piece.

Natasha Muhl, who led The Perth Mint’s Jewelled Turtle design team, said she was honoured to be involved in such an iconic series.

“I was raised in Western Australia’s Kimberley Region, an extraordinary natural environment offering pristine white beaches and a translucent turquoise sea,” Ms Muhl said.

“Six of the world’s seven species of sea turtles are found in Kimberley waters, and five of those are known to nest there so they really are special animals to me.

“The intricacy of the Jewelled Turtle reflects our constant pursuit of innovation.

“In this design we used hundreds of diamonds and gemstones to create the beautiful, sculpted body of the turtle.

“The finished piece is an extraordinary tribute to the beautiful, beloved and in many cultures, sacred sea creature.”

For the first time in the series, the coin bears the Dan Thorne effigy of His Majesty King Charles III.

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