The Longfin Bannerfish or Heniochus acuminatus, is one of the more distinctive and recognisable of the fish found amongst
the Australian coral reefs. It is common to find them in protected deep lagoons and channels as well as outer slopes of many
reefs
(Encyclopedia of Life, 2014)
. The Bannerfish was aptly chosen to feature on this
commemorative
one dollar coin. The black bands and the yellow tail fin are the features that make this fish so recognisable and their
role in the ocean is to remove parasites from other fish, acting a lot like a cleaner. The bright colours and detail that
can be seen in the design of this coin is thanks to the use of advancing technique known as pad printing. The sense of fun
that is created within this Ocean Series made them a popular addition to any collection.
This uncirculated one dollar Bannerfish coin is intended
for collectors with the hope of catching the interests and attention of a younger audience. This coin is the fourth in a
series dedicated to Australian ocean life that was released by the Royal Australian Mint over two years, between 2006 and
2007. The other marine life that accompanied this coin in the series includes the clown fish, the bottle nosed dolphin, the
Biscuit star fish, the white shark and the seahorse. Each of the coins were issued individual and were encapsulated and presented
on a card with colourful photographs of the featured marine life as well as fun facts and relevant information.
This particular coin pays tribute to the Bannerfish and the reverse
designed by Tony Dean, features the distinctive shape and colour of the popular Australian fish. Behind the fish purples
and maroons have been used to create the details of the coral as the fish swims towards the drop off and the open blue waters
of the ocean. This colour printed image is restricted to a square. To the right of the square, struck into the planchet is
the number 1 whilst on top of the image is the legend DOLLAR. Detail which reflects waves in the water has also been struck
to fill the space down the side of the image. The obverse features the
Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Queen Elizabeth II as well as the traditional
legend
found on all Australian 1 dollar coins, which reads ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2007.
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