{"title":"Fact or Fiction!!","description":"\u003cp\u003eDetermining which of Australia's fascinating animals actually exist - are fact! - or are completely made up - Fiction! - is a tough ask!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou've got the obviously fake, sewn-together compilation that is supposedly a Platypus, and the ferocious and angry treetop ambush artist, the Drop Bear, just to name a couple. Plus, of course, there's the Tasmanian Tiger. Does it still roam the bushland in Tassie? Does it, as sightings suggest, lurk somewhere on the Mainland too? Who knows!!!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAre these animals Fact or Fiction? You decide!!!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"2023-niue-2-fact-or-fiction-patchwork-platypus-1oz-silver-proof-coin","title":"2023 Niue $2 Fact or Fiction: Patchwork Platypus 1oz Silver Proof Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn 1799, shortly after colonisation of New South Wales began, zoologists in Britain received the pelt of a bizarre new animal... Instantly, they decried \"Hoax!\"! And, why wouldn't they? This absurd specimen had the beak of a duck, the tail of a beaver, webbed feet, a venomous spine, and supposedly... it laid eggs! Preposterous!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo it is, that before Australia was even named, the nation had been accused of perpetrating hoaxes on the world. In the animal kingdom, this Fact or Fiction conundrum includes such creatures as the Yowie, the big black cats of the bush, the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/melbournecoinco.com\/products\/2024-niue-2-fact-or-fiction-drop-bear-1oz-silver-coin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eDrop Bear\u003c\/a\u003e, and even mainland remnants of the extinct Tasmanian Tiger. Plus, of course, the \u003cem\u003eutterly absurd\u003c\/em\u003e duck-billed, beaver-tailed, egg-laying mammal, the Platypus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow many of these animals are real and how many just a hoax? Only Australians know the real Fact or Fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinted from one ounce of 99.9% pure silver, this cool collectable features the Platypus reimagined just as the original British scientists thought it - a sewn together patchwork of a creature, as if created by some Aussie Bush Frankenstein in a castle atop a cliff. Featuring superb detail and sparkling metallic background colour, the Patchwork Platypus is limited to a mintage of just 300 worldwide...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable height=\"190\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMonetary Denomination: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCountry: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNiue\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFineness (% purity): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e99.9\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMetal:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSilver\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Diameter (mm): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Gross Weight (g): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e31.1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Mintage:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e300\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Melbourne Coins \u0026 Collectables Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40392378679342,"sku":"AA4830","price":239.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0009\/1707\/8060\/files\/fact-or-fction-reverse.jpg?v=1690260928"},{"product_id":"2024-niue-2-fact-or-fiction-drop-bear-1oz-silver-coin","title":"2024 Niue $2 Fact or Fiction: Drop Bear 1oz Silver Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhilst Australians are known for a unique larrikinish humour, it’s conversely true that the nation houses a plethora of deadly, dangerous, and killer animals. Alarmingly, the Drop Bear finds itself at the crossroads of these two cultural aspects and is, astonishingly, widely considered a hoax! But this is not a Fact or Fiction debate, the Drop Bear is no joke…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNear impossible to find nor track, until it is too late, the territorial habits of the Drop Bear differ drastically from its much cuter relative, the Koala. Walk into the wrong part of a native eucalyptus filled bushland and, before you know it, this furious furball will drop from the trees in a full-blown attack!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhilst the world believes in the, frankly, absurd Australian animal that is the Platypus (duck billed mammal? Yeah, sure.) it continues to overlook the Drop Bear.... to the detriment of thousands of tourists every year.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinted from one ounce of 99.9% pure silver, this cool collectable features the Drop Bear, plummeting towards an unaware bushwalker during a stormy Aussie night. Featuring superb detail and sparkling metallic background colour, the Fact or Fiction Drop Bear silver coin is limited to a mintage of just 300 worldwide...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable height=\"190\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMonetary Denomination: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCountry: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNiue\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFineness (% purity): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e99.9\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMetal:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSilver\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Diameter (mm): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Gross Weight (g): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e31.1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Mintage:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e300\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Melbourne Coins \u0026 Collectables Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40561522507822,"sku":"AA5220","price":239.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0009\/1707\/8060\/files\/drop-bear-rev-photog.jpg?v=1703557564"},{"product_id":"2025-niue-2-fact-or-fiction-the-tassie-tiger-lives-1oz-silver-coin","title":"2025 Niue $2 Fact or Fiction: The Tassie Tiger Lives! 1oz Silver Coin","description":"\u003cp\u003eSighted constantly in the wilds of Tasmania, periodically on the Mainland, and bizarrely, sometimes spotted in the mountains of Papua New Guinea, the Tasmanian Tiger seems to be having a laugh on the Australian public. Is it true that the last Tassie Tiger died in a Hobart Zoo in 1936? Or is this elusive carnivorous marsupial still roaming the bushlands of Australia (and PNG!)?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Tassie Tiger Lives! \u003cem\u003eFact... or Fiction\u003c\/em\u003e?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnlike the black panthers that supposedly inhabit (really? Come on...) NSW's Blue Mountains, and Gippsland in Victoria, the Tassie Tiger is not actually a big cat. Unsurprisingly, the early settlers named it as such for the tiger-like stripes on its rump. Indeed, it is perhaps those stripes that have allowed the Tiger to remain out of view so successfully for so long.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMinted from one ounce of 99.9% pure silver, this cool collectable features a Tasmanian Tiger joey playfully batting at a Blue Tongue Lizard and deciding whether to have it for dinner. Featuring superb detail and sparkling metallic background colour, the \"Fact or Fiction: The Tassie Tiger Lives!\" silver coin is limited to a mintage of just 300 worldwide...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable height=\"190\"\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMonetary Denomination: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e$2\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCountry: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNiue\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFineness (% purity): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e99.9\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMetal:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSilver\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Diameter (mm): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e40\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Gross Weight (g): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e31.1\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Mintage:\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e300\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Melbourne Coins \u0026 Collectables Company","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41459415777326,"sku":"AA5658","price":239.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0009\/1707\/8060\/files\/Tassie-Tiger-Phog-rev.jpg?v=1752568624"}],"url":"https:\/\/melbournecoinco.com\/collections\/fact-or-fiction-1.oembed","provider":"Melbourne Coins \u0026 Collectables Company","version":"1.0","type":"link"}