Gold Coins**Australian Gold Coins**Gold**Australian Gold Lunar
Perth Mint Gold Lunar Coins were first introduced by the mint in 1996. Over several decades, Perth has reinvented its lunar-themed designs again and again, creating a collection that is beloved among investors and collectors around the world. Perth Mint Lunar Collections always begin anew with the Year of the Mouse, the first in the 12-year cycle of the Zodiac, and conclude with the Year of the Pig.
As mentioned above, Perth Mint has offered several iterations of its Gold Lunar Coins since 1996. As of 2020, the mint has three unique series of lunar-themed issues, each one following the exact 12-year cycle of the Zodiac. The collections available consist of the following options:
Perth Mint Lunar Gold Coins feature a monarch portrait on the obverse of every release and unique reverse designs of the animals from the Zodiac on the reverse. There are a few hallmarks of the designs in these collections that are important to note. First and foremost, each release year features the animal present in the Zodiac for that date and includes the following:
Only one animal appears for each date in a given Lunar Series. Since the beginning of Lunar Series I, Perth Mint has featured a distinct design for the gold and silver options. As such, the Year of the Mouse is featured on both gold and silver, but the specific image of the mouse is different for each metal. This has continued up through the Lunar Series III collection. The introduction of a platinum coin in the Lunar Series III collection resulted in the gold design being featured on the platinum coins as well.
As for the monarch images on the coins, as of Lunar Series III, Queen Elizabeth II is the only monarch to have featured in the series. Her effigy has changed with time to reflect her age, with the following portraits in use over the course of the various collections:
There are several shared characteristics across various versions and series within Perth Mint’s lunar collection. Foremost among them, all these coins are meticulously crafted from .9999 pure gold and hold the esteemed status of legal tender within Australia. The bullion versions of the Lunar Series I and Lunar Series II, in particular, have consistently been struck in varying weights, including:
Occasionally, the Perth Mint has also issued higher-weight coins in 2 oz, 10 oz, and 1 Kilogram. However, this practice is predominantly reserved for special-edition or proof coins and is not part of regular production.
Each coin bears a face value denominated in Australian Dollars (AUD), commencing at $100 for the 1 oz coin. The face values for fractional-weight coins correspond to their fractional values, with values set at $50 (½ oz), $25 (¼ oz), $10 (1/10 oz), and $5 (1/20 oz).
Notably, the production of proof coins in the Perth Mint Gold Lunar series is significantly more limited than their bullion counterparts. The inception of proof coins coincided with the Lunar Series II, expanding the program to include coins exclusively in 1 oz, ¼ oz, and 1/10 oz weights.
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