Big Guns! The battlewagons of WWII are remembered in this 5 coin series from the Perth Mint!

For nearly a century, the big gunned, heavily armored battleship ruled the high seas. Countries around the world invested huge sums of money into these oceanic leviathans, as a country's battle fleet was not just a military deterrent but also a reflection and source of national pride. Many more nations than you might suspect operated dreadnoughts, including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey, as well as the great powers of France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States. Capital ships reached the pinnacle of their development with the fast battleships of the Second World War. It is these ships that are the focus of this five coin program.

The Perth Mint of Australia has done the grand battlewagons of World War II proud! Each large (40.60 mm diameter), pure silver coin’s obverse portrays not one, but two, views of each ship! The main image is a dynamic portrayal of the dreadnought in action. In a cartouche underneath is a profile or side view of the ship, with its name below and its length indicated in meters. Both images are meticulously engraved and show the fine details of the ship.

    • Fighting Ships of World War II Complete 5 Coin Set

Please see the presentation lower on this page for more information about Tuvalu and its association with Australia.

Click here for all the coins in the Fighting Ships of World War II program!

DKM Bismarck
The German battleship Bismarck is one of the most famous warships of the Second World War. The lead ship of her class, named after the 19th century German chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Bismarck displaced more than 50,000 tons fully loaded and was the largest warship then commissioned. Her chief claim to fame came from the Battle of the Denmark Strait in May 1941 during which the battlecruiser HMS Hood, flagship of the Home Fleet and pride of the Royal Navy, was sunk within several minutes. In response, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the order to "Sink the Bismarck", spurring a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy.

Two days later, with safer waters almost in reach, Fleet Air Arm aircraft torpedoed Bismarck and jammed her rudder, allowing heavy British units to catch up with her. In the ensuing battle on the morning of 27 May 1941, Bismarck was heavily attacked for nearly three hours before sinking.

Click here for more coins and medals with nautical themes!

Ship Specifications and
Characteristics
Displacement:    50,90 tonnes
Length:    823 ft 6 in overall
Beam:    118 ft 1 in
Draft:    33 ft 6 in
Propulsion: 12 Wagner
    high pressure boilers
Speed:    30.1 knots
Range:    8,525 nautical miles
Complement:    2,092

Armament
8 x 15 in (4x2)
12 x 5.9 in (6x2)
16 x 4.1 in (8x2)
16 x 37 mm machine guns
20 x 20 mm machine guns
6 x 21 in torpedo tubes

Click here for more coins with military themes!

Technology Note
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.

Click here for other great colored coins!

Obverse
The mighty German battleship Bismarck unleashes a devastating salvo at her pursuers. A profile view of the ship appears below in a cartouche, with its name and length in meters indicated.

Click here for more great pure silver coins!

Reverse
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 QUEEN ELIZABETH II, the date of issue and denomination also appear.

Click here for other beautiful silver dollars!

Packaging
The coin is encapsulated inside a luxurious black leatherette, clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full-color outer box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included.

The Island Nation of Tuvalu
Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, is a Polynesian island nation located in the Pacific Ocean midway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbors are Kiribati, Samoa and Fiji. It is comprised of four reef islands and five true atolls. Its population of 11,992 makes it the third-least populated independent country in the world, with only Vatican City and Nauru having fewer inhabitants. It is also the second-smallest member by population of the United Nations. In terms of physical land size, at just 10 square miles Tuvalu is the fourth smallest country in the world, larger only than the Vatican City, Monaco and Nauru.

The first inhabitants of Tuvalu were Polynesian people, who arrived about 3000 years go. The islands came under Great Britain's sphere of influence in the late 19th century. The Ellice Islands were administered by Britain as part of a protectorate from 1892 to 1916 and as part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony from 1916 to 1974. In 1974 the Ellice Islanders voted for separate British dependency status as Tuvalu, separating from the Gilbert Islands which became Kiribati upon independence. Tuvalu became fully independent within The Commonwealth in 1978. with Queen Elizabeth II as titular head of state.

Because Tuvalu has few natural resources it has been dependent in recent years upon aid from larger, more developed nations, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States. The Perth Mint of Australia is officially commissioned by the government of Tuvalu to produce legal tender coinage for the island nation.