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2016 Northern Sky Ursa Major $5 Silver Domed Coin

$280.00 AUD

Availability: 2 in stock

SKU: 2016URSAMAJORDOMEDCOIN Category:
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Royal Australia Mint’s 2016 $5 Ursa Major domed 1 oz silver proof coin is now available here.

The first and second series of these coins from Royal Australia Mint have driven great enthusiasm in collectors across the world. 

Following Cassiopeia. Ursa Major brings us to another very well known constellation.

The coin features Ursa Major, also called the Great Bear. It’s the third largest of the 88 modern constellations and is home to I Zwicky 18, the youngest known galaxy in the visible universe.

Those who gaze at the stars in the northern hemisphere are fortunate to enjoy the sight of one of the world’s most famous constellations year-round. Ursa Major, Latin for “the greater she-bear”, has been a key feature of astronomy, navigation and folklore since its declaration by Ptolemy in the second century.

This unique concave/convex Australian legal tender coin is sure to prove highly sought after.

Comes with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity and original packaging with a Royal Australian Mint clam style case. Certificate number may vary from that shown.

See our full listing of Royal Australian Mint silver coins here.

SKU

Design

2016 Northern Sky Ursa Major $5 Silver Domed Coin
Denomination: $5
Metal:              Silver Ag
Diameter:        39.62 mm
Mass:              1 ounce
Finish:             Coloured Print Proof
Mintage:          5,000

Obverse:   The Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II along with the date.

Reverse:   Features the Ursa Major constellation as seen from the northern hemisphere against a background of purple, pink and orange. Designed by B. King.

History

Ursa Major is also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the northern celestial hemisphere. One of the 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy (second century AD), it remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It can be visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. Its name, Latin for “the greater (or larger) she-bear”, stands as a reference to and in direct contrast with Ursa Minor, “the lesser she-bear”, with which it is frequently associated in mythology and amateur astronomy. The constellation’s most recognizable asterism, a group of seven relatively bright stars commonly known as the “Big Dipper”, “the Wagon” or “the Plough” (among others), both mimics the shape of the lesser bear (the “Little Dipper”) and is commonly used as a navigational pointer towards the current northern pole star, Polaris in Ursa Minor. The Big Dipper and the constellation as a whole have mythological significance in numerous world cultures, usually as a symbol of the north.

The third largest constellation in the sky, Ursa Major is home to many deep-sky objects including seven Messier objects, four other NGC objects and I Zwicky 18, which is potentially the youngest known galaxy in the visible universe.

The “Big Dipper” (a term mainly used in the United States and Canada; Plough and (historically) Charles’ Wain are used in the United Kingdom) is an asterism within Ursa Major composed of seven bright stars (six of them of second magnitude or higher) that together comprise one of the best-known patterns in the sky. Like many of its common names allude to, its shape is said to resemble either a ladle, an agricultural plough or wagon; in the context of Ursa Major, they are commonly drawn to represent the hindquarters and tail of the Great Bear.

Taken from Wikipedia for educational purposes only.

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