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This commemorative ten dollar coin is one piece from the eight coin 'State Series' set. They were released on an annual basis between 1985 and 1993 only excluding 1988. Each coin commemorates a different Australian State or Territory and bears the Coat of Arms of each one. This coin was issued in 1990 and pays tribute to Western Australia. It is joined by Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory. Each of the coins were produced in sterling silver in both proof and mint-state conditions.
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Unlike most other Australian states, Western Australia was not settled as a British penal colony. The first European settlement occurred in 1826 when Albany was settled as a military outpost. (Western Australian Museum, 2017) The population remained small until the 1880s and 1890s when the discovery of gold draw diggers into the states. In 1901 Western Australia became one of the states to form the Commonwealth of Australia. A variety of Western Australian official imagery, including the state flag, features a Black Swan.
The large numbers of Black Swans in the area lead Dutch Navigator, Captain Willem de Vlamingh to name the substantial river that today runs through Perth 'Swan River'. The Black Swan was an important scientific discovery that continues to be used today as a scientific symbol. (Tim Low, 2016) Prior to the discovery of Black Swans by Willem de Vlamingh in 1697 it was commonly believed that all Swans were white. Tim Low states that "Like purple cows and flying pigs, the black swan was a symbol of what was impossible. In medieval Europe, unicorns had more credibility." Author Nassim Taleb has since popularised the 'black swan theory' which states that dramatic and unexpected events - like the discovery of black swans - matter more to history than regular expected events.
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