What’s all the. This gorgeous, MUST-HAVE rarity is the bee’s knees! Combining a black proof finish with 24-karat gold plating, and struck in one full troy ounce of pure silver, these honey bees buzz about, alighting on flowers and tending to the hive’s honeycomb! Mintage of just 350 guarantees rarity and desirability now and in the future. Hottest coin of the year? The honey bee, found the world over, is an important pollinator-bees pollinate our crops, from fruit trees and vegetables to cereal crops. They also make honey. To create one pound of honey, the workers of a beehive must collect nectar from approximately one million flowers-an astonishing number that means that the honey bee plays a critical role in natural and commercial plant propagation. This one troy ounce proof coin combines precious gold plating with pure silver and a black proof finish to salute this invaluable insect friend. A Gorgeous, Dynamic Design. In the foreground, a honey bee alights on a flower to collect nectar, while two of its hive mates buzz through the air searching for more. Meanwhile more worker bees tend to the hive, the honeycomb dripping with liquid gold. The letters that spell out “Honey Bee” are hidden within the honeycomb. The Honey Bee: Amazing Insect Engineer-And Dancer! , found the world over, is an important pollinator-they pollinate our crops, from fruit trees and vegetables to cereal crops. They also make honey (duh). But the honey bee’s amazing talents extend far beyond this vital task. Bees have a rigidly organized social structure that enables them to build and supply a living environment whose internal symmetry has been the envy of mathematicians for thousands of years. The colony itself is composed of three groups: workers, drones, and the queen. Scouted in advance by worker bees, hive locations tend to be in the cavities of trees, but also of rocks and occasionally in hollows of buildings and other man-made structures. Once the location is selected, the bees work together to build their new home before escorting their queen there. Beginning at the top of the cavity, the bees construct their hive comb by comb, layer by layer. The upper part of the hive is reserved for honey storage. Pollen is stored in the rows of cells beneath this. Lower down are the cells where new workers and drones are bred. The queen’s quarters are at the bottom. The beehive, home to the honeybee, is built around an amazing structure, the honeycomb. This superb construction is a mathematically perfect matrix of hexagons that optimizes spatial coverage while minimizing the amount of construction material required for building-a feat of engineering efficiency that is virtually unmatched in the animal kingdom! The hive is composed of parallel honeycomb layers made of hexagonal cells that are one of nature’s most mathematically precise animal-built constructions. The individual cell walls are formed from secreted wax that is arranged into perfect hexagons whose six walls, each of exactly the same width, meet at precisely 120 degrees. The cells themselves are angled slightly upwards to help contain the honey, pollen, larvae, and eggs they are made to hold. The legend HONEY BEE, hidden within the honeycomb, indicates the theme. His Majesty, King Charles III, in profile effigy facing left. This portrait was executed by the engraver Jody Clark. The legend CHARLES III, the date of issue and denomination also appear, while the legend 5 OZ 999 SILVER guarantees the weight and purity. The coin is encapsulated inside a luxurious clamshell-style presentation case, lined with black velvet and satin, and protected by a full color outer cardboard box. An individually-numbered certificate of authenticity is included. The image of the back side of the certificate is a mint-supplied image intended for general reference only. Serial number on image is NOT indicative of the serial number you will receive. Due to the number of inquiries we receive, and the wholesale disposition of our firm, serial number queries can not be fielded, we’re sorry. Honey Bee & Hive. Purchaser will be required to provide identity and address verification. Black Proof with Selective 24-Karat Gold Plating. 999 Fine (Pure) Silver.
