Year of the Rabbit silver proofs create an even-grander scene inside this innovative display case! The Perth Mint has done it again! Large, beautiful rectangular coins in a brilliant display case, all featuring impressive color. And all struck in pure silver. These coins are huge – at 47.60 mm wide, they are nearly 2 inches across! What’s more, this set comprises the complete Year of the Rabbit issues in 1 ounce rectangular form, featuring bunnies of four different colors! When you assemble the coins end-to-end (as they come in the display packaging), they com together to create a large, Oriental-style vignette. Best of all, the mintage is limited to. Only 3,000 complete sets worldwide. At our low price, this set represents a tremendous value and a great investment! Create this Charming Tableau with All Four Rabbit Rectangles! First year of issue. We have been made aware that the majority of the Rabbit Rectangle Silver Proof Sets are going to the East and Far East, whence they will never return. That means that 1,000 or less of these sets will be available for the rest of the world! Consequently, we expect a very fast sell out at the Mint. If you want to be one of the lucky few to own this set, don’t delay! A sell out at the Mint was anticipated and has occurred. Four Different Coins Combine to Make One Cohesive Scene! There are four different rabbit portraits, one per coin, each with different colored bunnies: Large medium brown rabbit is ready for his afternoon nap. Two playful, adult white rabbits don’t follow them down the rabbit hole! A black rabbit looks ready to hop right out of the picture! Parent and young grayish-brown rabbits nuzzle in a windswept landscape. These four rabbit silver dollars form a single outdoor scene when placed end-to-end in the order described above. To highlight this tableau, the Perth Mint has developed an ingenious new presentation box that showcases all four rabbit silver proofs contiguously, thereby allowing display of the entire vignette while protecting the coins in an elegant, red and black case! The Year of the Rabbit – Most Cuddly! Centuries ago, the Chinese invented a calendar based on the lunar (rather than the solar) cycle. There are twelve animals in the Chinese lunar zodiac, each corresponding in sequence to a year rather than a month. In 2011 we celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. According to tradition, people born during a Year of the Rabbit (1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2011) are said to exhibit that animals attributes. They are sociable, amiable, and artistic, and are often shy, soft-spoken and cautious. They are often noted for their elegance and good taste. Rabbits can be moody, superficial and self-centered, as well. This is the fourth annual release in the new Lunar Series II zodiac program that began in 2008. The rabbit is not the strongest animal in a physical sense of the twelve Chinese zodiacal signs; they are dedicated and sensitive. Rabbits are usually kind and sweet; this makes them popular people. Nobody ignores them, for they are good company and know how to make the best of themselves. Even though they are popular and loved by their friends and family, rabbit people can also be pessimistic. They are conservative and insecure, and that explains why most of the them don’t like changes. It is not easy to provoke Rabbit people, as they are calm. They don’t like to argue and enjoy quiet, peaceful lives. They are also sentimental, compassionate and loyal. One can do much worse than to have a Rabbit as a friend! Please see the article further below for a short presentation on the Cook Islands. Rabbits in Australia – A Tragedy of Unintended Consequences. Rabbits are not native to Australia – they are an invasive species, first introduced to the Island Continent 150 years ago. One Thomas Austin released 12 wild rabbits onto his property, Barwon Park, near Winchelsea, Victoria, in October 1859 for hunting purposes. He had asked his nephew William Austin to send him 12 gray rabbits, five hares, 72 partridges and some sparrows from England so that he could continue his hobby in Australia by creating a local population of the species. One theory as to why the Barwon Park rabbits adapted so well to Australia is that the hybrid rabbits that resulted from the interbreeding of the two distinct types were particularly hardy and virile. At the time Austin had stated, The introduction of a few rabbits could do little harm and might provide a touch of home, in addition to a spot of hunting. The rabbits proliferated explosively. With mild winters, they were able to breed the entire year. With widespread farming, areas that may have been desert, scrub, or woodlands were instead turned into vast areas with low vegetations, creating ideal habitat for rabbits. In a classic example of unintended consequences, within ten years of the introduction in 1859, rabbits had become so prevalent that two million could be shot or trapped annually without having any noticeable effect on the population. It was the fastest spread ever recorded of any mammal anywhere in the world. Since their introduction, the effect of rabbits on the ecology of Australia has been devastating. Rabbits are suspected of being the most significant known factor in species loss in Australia. The loss of plant species is unknown at this time. Rabbits often kill young trees in orchards, forests and on properties by ringbarking or girdling them. Rabbits are also responsible for serious erosion problems as they eat native plants, leaving the topsoil exposed and vulnerable to sheet, gully and wind erosion. The removal of this topsoil is devastating to the land as it takes many hundreds of years to regenerate. Annually, European rabbits cause millions of dollars of damage to crops. Technology Note – Color. The Perth Mint of Australia employs its own proprietary colorization technology, in which the color is actually sealed on the coin. The vibrant hues and precise execution of the technology create a stunning, full-color portrait on each coin. Four different vignettes of different colored rabbits, each set in an oriental-style outdoor setting depicting bamboo, flowers, other vegetation, and a mountain in the background. The Chinese character for “Rabbit” and the Perth Mint’s “P” mint mark halos occur. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II of England, in crowned profile facing right. This portrait, featuring Her Majesty wearing a tiara and pearl drop earrings, was executed by the sculptor Raphael Maklouf. The legend ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear. The coins are encapsulated inside an elegant, oversize luxury presentation case with a see-through lid that allows for the easy display of the coins, protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. Perth Mint of Australia. 4 Dollars (4 x One Dollar). 124.54 g (4 x 31.135 g). 47.60 mm nearly 2 inches! X 27.60 mm. 999 Fine (Pure) Silver. The Cook Islands are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 92.7 square miles (240 square kilometers), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 700,000 square miles (1.8 million square kilometers) of ocean. As of the 2006 census, the country has a total population of just under 20,000. The main population centers are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 as of 2006), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island. In the 2006 census, 58,008 New Zealanders identified themselves as being of ethnic Cook Island Maori descent. With over 90,000 visitors traveling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the Cook Islands’ number one industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports. Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. Talisman World Coins and Medals has been in business for more than 28 years and is one of the largest world coin direct distributors and wholesalers in the world. The item “Cook Islands 2011 Year of Rabbit 4 Coin Rectangle Color Silver Proof $1 Set” is in sale since Tuesday, May 29, 2012. This item is in the category “Coins & Paper Money\Coins\ World\Australia & Oceania\Australia\Commemorative”. The seller is “talismancoins” and is located in Saint Louis, Missouri. This item can be shipped worldwide.

• Circulated/Uncirculated: Uncirculated
• Year: 2011
• Composition: Silver
• Certification: New in Mint Packaging OGP + CoA
• Country/Region of Manufacture: Australia