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Australia Cuckoo Wasp

2014 One Dollar

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The 2014 Bright Bugs Series is the Royal Australian Mint's fifth animal series, following the popular Ocean, Land, Sea, and Polar series. The Bright Bugs series encompasses six, uncirculated coins, each depicting some of Australia's most interesting insects; the Blowfly, Ulysses Butterfly, Cuckoo Wasp, Stag Beetle, Grasshopper, and Red Bull Ant. The series was periodically released in pairs throughout the year in specially designed cards.

The stunning cuckoo wasp is a stunning parasitoid wasp found throughout Australia. As the name suggests they female cuckoo wasp lays her eggs in the nests of other insects where her offspring grow by either feeding on the host larvae or food. The species are generally coloured with a striking iridescent green, blue, or purple which glitters in the sunlight. (Western Australian Museum, 2013)

Using a colour/pad printing process, the Mint perfectly captures the strong colours of this species. The reverse was created by first striking the coin with a very detailed relief then applying coloured ink to further enhance the design. The result is eye-catching with precise, vivid details and intense colour, paying artistic homage to this stunning species. The obverse features Ian Rank-Broadley's image of Queen Elizabeth II.