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Australia Frilled Neck Lizard

2009 Proof Five Dollar

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The Little Dinkums coin collection lovingly celebrates Australia's favourite creatures. The Royal Australian Mint had commissioned artist Ben Hutchings to design six characters for a coin collection named Little Dinkums. They were Petey Platypus, Kip Koala, Kato Cockatoo, Tinga the Tasmanian Tiger, LilyPilly Lizard and finally Binny Bilby. This coin was struck in Gold at a size of just 14mm. The reverse of this coin, designed by the Royal Australian Mint has the cartoon character Lillypilly Lizard depicting the Frilled Neck Lizard.It includes the legend 1/25oz 99.99Au 5 DOLLARS. The obverse features the traditional Ian Rank-Broadley portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, crowned and right facing and is surrounded by the legend ELIZABETH II AUSTRALIA 2009. This coin, along with the other three, were sold in individual boxes with the cartoon character emblazoned upon it.

(Ben Hutchings, 2013) The frill necked lizard was the official mascot of the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000 and was known as Lizzie. It was prominent on the two cent coin before 1991. Its scientific name is Chlamydosaurus kingii. The lizard is found mainly in Northern Australia and New Guinea. It likes forest areas and spends most of its time in trees. There is no other creature known to man with a frilled neck, but despite its ferocious look, it feeds mainly on insects, which suggests it unfolds its neck to scare of predators such as eagles, dingos, larger lizards and owls.