2022 Black Swan Maali 2oz Silver Antiqued Coloured Coin

This first of its kind 2oz silver antiqued coloured coin features an original coloured painting of a black swan by Kevin Bynder, a proud Whadjuk-Yuet-Ballardong man.

Kevin is a passionate artist and teacher whose diverse portfolio of vibrant and striking works includes many Indigenous guernsey and shirt designs for high-profile sporting franchises, as well as murals in both public and private spaces in and around Perth.

Widespread throughout much of Australia, the black swan (Cygnus artratus) is of spiritual significance in the ancestral stories of many First Nations Australians. In the south west, where the Nyoongar (also Noongar, Nyungar) people are traditional custodians of the land, the majestic waterbird is often referred to as maali.

According to local lore, maali was once a vain and boastful white feathered swan. In punishment for its conceit, waalti, the eagle, ripped out maali’s cherished feathers. Fortunately, ravens took pity on the distressed bird, disguising it with black feathers from their own plumage. Like the black swans in their wetland habitats today, maali retained some white wing feathers which only become visible in flight.

The coin’s reverse design represents maali descending on 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 for the landscape, blues, greens and other hues for the water and its currents. Included on the reverse is The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

The coin is housed in a contemporary latex case within a beautifully illustrated shipper and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.

Coin Highlights:

• Features original artistry of a black swan by Kevin Bynder, a proud Whadju Yuet Ballardong man
• Design suggestive of the ancient Aboriginal cultural practice of body painting
• Worldwide mintage of 2,000 coins
• Australian legal tender