2012 $5 MARINE LIFE PROTECTION: BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS
STERLING SILVER COIN

1st coin of the series Marine Life Protection.
The series includes blue-ringed octopus, synchiropus splendidus, yellow boxfish and whitetail damselfish.

This series of sterling silver proof coins features vibrantly coloured marine life that is so lifelike it appears to be swimming off the coin. Mintages are exceptionally low, at just 1,500 for each coin.

The intensive blue-ringed colouring makes the octopus shine in the Pacific Ocean. However, it’s venom is one of the most fatal in the world.

Although the blue-ringed octopus only reaches a maximum body length of about 50 millimetres it is recognized as one of the most poisonous animals in the world. By nature very shy, high tides sometimes wash it into small tide pools and coral reefs where it hunts small crabs and live clams. This is where humans find them, pick them up and get bitten. The bite itself is small and not very painful but after only a few minutes, respiratory depression and paralysis start to set in.

They only show their intensive colouring when they are under stress. Shortly after mating, the male dies, whereas the female dies after the eggs hatch. The female only lays eggs once in her lifetime.

MARINE LIFE PROTECTION - BLUE-RINGED OCTOPUS - 2012 REPUBLIC OF PALAU COINS 01 is categorised COINS AND PAPER MONEY / 14- FOREIGN COINS / REPUBLIC OF PALAU and sold by l'Imaginaire, a store and specialised website.