2374) "Spiritual Black Swan or Maali", Australia: A $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Antique Finish , Colourised Coin issued by the Perth Mint Australia features this iconic symbol of the Noongar or Nyungar people: Year of Coin issue: 2022:
The Header/Banner depicts the Obverse and Reverse of the $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Antique Finish Colour oxidised Coin placed against a background of Aboriginal Art
About The "Black Swan" (or "Maali"):
The Black Swan exemplifies how a non-human species can come to represent a particular place and people.
The "Noongar people" of Southwest Australia have for tens of thousands of years co-inhabited with the "Black Swan" or "Maali", which features in a number of Dreamtime traditions.
Early European settlers in Australia, first encountered the Black Swan when exploring the river that Noongar people call "Derbarl Yerrigan". The River was named the "Swan River".
The first European settlement on the West coast of Australia was known as the "Swan River Colony" and almost immediately the "Black Swan" was adopted as a symbol for the region.
The Legends:
The first Legend:
The Dreamtime story of the Black Swans tells how two brothers were turned into white swans so they could help an attack party during a raid for weapons.
It is said that "Wurrunna" used a large "gubbera", or "crystal stone", to transform the men (an early example of shape-shifting in local Aboriginal traditions).
After the raid, Eaglehawks attacked the white swans and tore feathers from the birds. Crows who were enemies of the Eaglehawks came to the aid of the brothers and gave the black swans their own black feathers.
The black swan's red beak is said to be the blood of the attacked brothers, which stayed there forever.
The second Legend:
The moral code embedded in Aboriginal lore is evident in a story from an unspecified locality in eastern Australia (in New South Wales) published in 1943.
An Aboriginal man, fishing in a lagoon, caught a baby bunyip. Instead of returning the baby to the water, he wanted to take the bunyip back to the camp to boast of his fishing prowess, against the urging of his friends.
Before he could do anything, the angry mother bunyip rose from the water, flooding swirling water around them, and took back her baby.
As the water receded, the men found that they had been changed into black swans.
As punishment for the fisherman's vanity, they never regained their human form, but could be heard at night talking in human voices as a reminder to their human relatives of the perils of pride and arrogance.
Present Day:
The "Black Swan" ("Cygnus atratus") is widely referenced in Australian culture, although the character of that importance historically diverges between the prosaic in the East and the symbolic in West.
The Black Swan is also of spiritual significance in the traditional histories of many Australian Aboriginal peoples across southern Australia. Metaphoric references to Black Swans have appeared in European culture since long before the real-life discovery of "Cygnus atratus" in Australia in the 18th century.
The Black Swan's role in Australian heraldry and culture extends to the first founding of the colonies in the eighteenth century.
It has often been equated with antipodean identity, the contrast to the white swan of the northern hemisphere indicating 'Australianness'.
Over the years, the "Black Swan" symbol is the official state emblem of Western Australia and is depicted on the flag of Western Australia, as well as, being depicted on the Western Australian Coat-of-Arms and other iconography of the state's institutions.
The Black Swan is also the State Bird of Western Australia.
The symbol is used in other emblems, coins, stamps, logos, mascots and in the naming of sports teams.
It featured prominently in commemorations for the 1929 centenary and 1979 sesquicentenary celebrations, and appears on Western Australian sporting uniforms, souvenirs and postcards.
The National Museum has been actively seeking black swan related objects to explore this relationship, including a "callout" to Western Australians who might have such objects.
The response has been overwhelming, with numerous offers of commemorative objects, sporting uniforms, photos and information; as well as, helpful assistance from organisations, such as, the "City of Perth History Centre", the "Western Australia Parliament", and the "Department of Premier and Cabinet".
A Nyungar man called Woolberr was the "last of the Black Swan Group" of the Nyungar people of south-western Australia in the 1920s.
Nyungar lore refers to how the ancestors of the Nyungar people were once black swans who became men.
The Silver Coins:
The Perth Mint has released new antiqued silver two-ounce coins portraying an original coloured painting of a black swan by Western Australian Indigenous Artist Kevin Bynder.
The Reverse of the $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Coin is designed by Whadjuk-Yuet-Ballardong, who is a renowned aboriginal artist and Kevin Bynder, whose depiction of a Maali is shown descending on the water with its enormous wings stretched skywards.
The background is formed by stylised patterns of coloured dots inspired by a palette of ochre pigments used by Indigenous artists through time.
Reds and browns represent the landscape, while blues, greens, and other hues depict the water and its currents.
Included on this face is the Perth Mint’s “P” mintmark.
The Obverse of the $2 (Two Dollars) Silver Coin includes the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right, the denomination - "TWO DOLLARS", year of issue - "2022", and the coins’ specifications are placed under the Queen’s effigy.
The specification of the Silver Coin are:
Country of issue: Australia; Date/Year: .2022; Coin Theme: "Spiritual Black Swan - Maali"; Denomination/Face Value: $2 (Two Dollars); Metal Composition: .9999 Fineness Silver (Ag); Weight: 2.00 Oz or 62.20 grams ; Diameter/Size: 40.60 mm; Coin Quality: Antique Finish (AF); Modifications: Colour oxidised; Mint: Perth Mint Australia; Mint Mark: "P"; Mintage: 2,000 pieces; Designers: Whadjuk-Yuet-Ballardong, Kevin Bynder/
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Packaging: The coin is housed in a contemporary latex case enabling viewing of both sides within an illustrative outer protective box and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
- The Perth Mint will donate a total of AUD $10,000 from the proceeds and sales of the coin to The Magic Coat, a charitable organisation selected by Mr. Bynder for its commitment to helping children feel safe and manage difficult situations.
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