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Gold coins are arguably the most valuable assets that investors and collectors look for when purchasing precious metals. Gold is, literally, the standard of the industry. Countless mints around the globe, both sovereign and private, produce gold bullion options for numismatists and collectors alike. Listed here today are some of the most prominent and popular gold coin programs from the Perth Mint, Australia’s oldest operating mint facility. You’ll find each one available for purchase today online from JM Bullion.
The nation of Australia has two major minting facilities that produce gold coins for investors and collectors. The state-owned Perth Mint has a greater international profile courtesy of its popular annual-release bullion coins, and the sought-after Lunar Series coins. In addition to the ground-breaking collection of gold Lunar Series designs, you’ll find the popular annual-release coins of the Australian Gold Kangaroo, Australian Gold Kookaburra, and Australian Gold Koala available for purchase as well.
During British colonial rule of Australia, vast resources of gold and silver were discovered on the continent, particularly in the Outback and western stretches of the continent. In order to profit from this discovery and export the precious metals around the globe, the Royal Mint of London established a mint system in the country to process, refine, and distribute the gold and silver throughout the empire.
The Sydney Mint was the first facility in the system to open, in 1855, and the first to close in 1926. The Melbourne Mint was the second to open, in 1872, and closed in 1967. The Perth Mint was the third and final Royal Mint facility to open in Australia, commencing operations in 1899. Today it enjoys status as the oldest operating facility in Australia and the South Pacific.
Australia’s Perth Mint has quickly established itself as one of the world’s finest precious metal refiners and coin producers. The mint was first founded in 1899, just two years before Australia’s federation as a commonwealth of independent states in 1901. As of 2000, the Perth Mint has refined and produced 3.25% of mankind’s total gold production. As of 1970, the facility is a state-owned entity of the government in Western Australia. While it is not affiliated with the Royal Australian Mint, the federal government’s official facility, its coins are considered legal tender under the Currency Act of 1965.
Since the Australian Gold Nugget/Kangaroo debuted in 1986, Perth Mint has used a variety of monarch portraits on its gold bullion coins. Until 2024, all of its programs featured only Queen Elizabeth II as the late queen enjoyed a record-breaking reign as the British monarch. In 2024, Perth Mint introduced its first image of His Majesty King Charles III on its bullion coins, marking the start of a new era. Major designs include:
The Perth Mint first introduced a koala coin in 2007 with the release of a Silver Koala coin. The gold and silver program share a few common traits. First and foremost, the design motif always focuses on the koala and its primary dietary source, the eucalyptus leaf. However, the specific design used each year changes to add value to and interest in the coin program. Although the design sets change each year, you can always expect to see either a single koala or an adult and youth, along with eucalyptus.
Perth Mint Gold Koala coins were introduced a year later in 2008, and the gold coins are only struck in proof versions, unlike the Australian silver program which features both a bullion and proof version. The Gold Koala is also available in fewer weights. While the Silver Koala is struck in 1 oz, ½ oz, ¼ oz, 1/10 oz, and larger 10 oz and 1 Kilo coins, the Gold Koala is only produced in 2 oz, 1 oz high-relief proof, 1/10 oz, and 1/25 oz by the Perth Mint.
The Gold Kangaroo coin actually has its roots in a coin known as the Australian Gold Nugget. First released in 1987, these gold coins featured the image of a gold nugget on the reverse side. In 1989, this coin’s reverse design was altered to represent the continent’s beloved kangaroo. Following adoption of the kangaroo motif on this coin program, the Perth Mint began following another popular rule used in its other bullion coin programs: rotating designs.
Each year, the Perth Mint releases a gold bullion Australian Kangaroo coin in .9999 pure gold with an all-new design on the reverse side of the coin. The motif always remains the same, capturing the kangaroo in its natural habitat. However, the specific design changes from year to year, with different artists and Perth Mint engravers contributing to the design sets used on the coins.
As with other Perth Mint animal-themed coins, the reverse side of these coins changes on a yearly basis. The reverse always features the same motif, that of the kangaroo in the Outback, but the specific features are added to keep collectors on their toes with each new release of the Australian Gold Kangaroo.
Without question, the Kookaburra Series is longest-running silver coin from the Perth Mint, which is also available each year in a gold bullion option, as well. A unique bird species native to the continent of Australia, the kookaburra has appeared on a proof silver coin since 1990. The collector’s value of the Australian Gold Kookaburra coin comes from its changing design. Each year, the Perth Mint selects a new design for the coin, always highlighting the kookaburra in its natural habitat.
On the reverse side of each coin is the image of the kookaburra, surrounded by engravings that include “Australian Kookaburra” and the coin’s weight, purity, and metal content.
Regardless of the series that your Perth Mint Gold Lunar Coin comes from, there are a number of similarities that exist across the versions and series. First and foremost, all coins are struck using .9999 pure gold and carry status as legal tender coins in the nation of Australia. Perth Mint issues coins in its Lunar Series with a variety of weights in the BU collection, with the latest series having launched in 2020 and scheduled to run through 2031.
The Perth Mint is often considered a pioneer of some of the most unique and distinctive forms of gold bullion. This is particularly true when it comes to gold bullion coins. During its Lunar Series II program (2008-2019), the Perth Mint introduced the concept of rectangular bullion coins with proof silver issues. However, in 2018, the Perth Mint delivered the first-ever legal-tender bullion coins in rectangular forms. The first of these coins was the Australian Rectangular Dragon Gold Series.
This collection has legal-tender status and is available in both gold and silver. The design of the dragon on the reverse changes each year to capture the dragon in a slightly different design with unique background elements representing the dragon in each release.
One of the newer bullion collections from the Perth Mint is the Australian Wedge Tail Eagle coin. With designs from John Mercanti, former Chief Engraver of the United States Mint, the series has proven to be one of the best-sellers at the Perth Mint. Introduced in 2014 as a 1 oz silver coin, the investment-grade range of Wedge Tail Eagle coins gained a gold bullion option in 2016. The 1/10 oz Australian Gold Wedge Tail Eagle is the primary choice for investors in this series. The reverse face of the coin changes on a regular basis, though early date marks did not necessarily change each year. For example, repeat designs were used in 2014 and 2015, as well as 2016 and 2017. Since 2018, a new reverse design has been used with each release of the Australian Gold Wedge Tail Eagle.
Please feel free to contact JM Bullion with any inquiries about the gold coin listed here from the Perth Mint. You can reach our team members on the phone at 800-276-6508, on the web using our live chat, and via our email address. You can find detailed information regarding payment methods on our Payment FAQ page, and don’t hesitate to ask further questions about payment options if you have them after reading the FAQ page.
