2oz silver coin "Kookaburra - 2023" gilded (PP/HR) Proof / High Relief

The first Australian Kookaburra coin was issued in 1990. Since then, this coin series, with its annually changing designs, has been dedicated to the famous kingfishers.

The 2023 coin depicts two kookaburras perched on the branches of a bush. The design, struck in proof quality, is in high relief. On the left, one bird appears closer to the viewer, its back to us turned, its gaze directed over its right shoulder. The second kookaburra, also perched on a branch to the right, is positioned further away and looks back at the first. Both are surrounded by waratah, a pink, spherical flower. Both kookaburras and the branches they perch on are plated with 24-karat gold. The reeded edge of the coin is also gilded. The design includes the inscription "KOOKABURRA" on the right edge, followed by the Perth Mint's traditional mint mark "P". The year 2023, the weight of 2 oz, and the purity of 99.99% silver are inscribed on the upper left edge of the design.

The obverse features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in a memorial design, created by Jody Clark. In addition to the face value of 2 Australian dollars and the issuing country, Australia, the design incorporates the reign dates of the former British monarch, "1952-2022".

The kookaburra gets its name from the word "Gugubarra," used by the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people. For tens of thousands of years, they have told countless stories about the kookaburra. Later, it was featured in contemporary Australian art and literature. The Australian kookaburra is also famous for its loud call, which sounds like a cackling laugh. It is one of Australia's most recognizable birds and the largest kingfisher in the world. The name "kookaburra" translates to "hunter's bird" and it is also known as the "laughing kookaburra."