2024 Australia Kookaburra Kaa Kaa 2 oz Silver Colorized Antiqued Coin

A large kingfisher, the kookaburra’s unmistakable ‘koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa’ chorus is one of Australia’s most recognisable bird calls. Native to eastern Australia where it has long held cultural significance for Aboriginal people, the iconic bird was introduced to the south-west corner of Western Australia in the late 1890s. Nyoongar people, the original inhabitants of this area, know it as ‘kaa kaa’. Like the eastern Aboriginal name ‘gugubarra’, their name for kookaburra mimics the bird’s chortling cry.

Struck by The Perth Mint from 2oz of 99.99% pure silver, the coin is issued as legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965.

The Perth Mint will release no more than 2,000 of the Kookaburra Kaa Kaa 2024 2oz Silver Antiqued Coloured Coin.

The coin’s reverse portrays an original coloured painting of a kookaburra 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 Indigenous guernsey designs for high-profile sporting franchises, murals for both public and private spaces, and a series of Australian coins issued by The Perth Mint. Inspired by Western Australia’s natural environment, Kevin’s works reflect the history and knowledge of his people who have lived on Nyoongar country for tens of thousands of years.

A stunning example of his technique, the kookaburra features markings symbolising white ochre, a natural earth pigment with which ancestors painted themselves when performing the kookaburra Dreaming dance. The background comprises coloured dots – shades of blue representing the morning, day, and evening sky; green denoting leaves during the Djeran season (April/May), and brown during the Kambarang, Birak and Bunuru seasons (October/March). Included in the design is a ‘P125’ mintmark, signifying The Perth Mint’s 125th anniversary, and the 2024 year-date.

The coin’s obverse portrays the Dan Thorne effigy of His Majesty King Charles III. Also included are the coin’s weight, purity, and monetary denomination.

This coin’s obverse has been individually ‘antiqued’ to give it a unique finish conveying the surface abrasions of an ancient artefact. As a result of this treatment, the appearance of each coin in the mintage may vary.

The coin is housed in a contemporary latex case within a beautifully illustrated shipper and is accompanied by a numbered certificate of authenticity.