Silver**Silver Coins**Australian Silver Coins**Royal Australian Mint Silver Coins
The Royal Australian Mint (RAM) is renowned for creating Australia’s circulation coins and silver coins prized by collectors and investors from around the world. The mint was founded in 1965 to create Australia’s circulation coins. These coins were originally struck at the Sydney Mint, Melbourne Mint, and Perth Mint, which were all branches of London’s Royal Mint.
The RAM opened roughly one year before Australia’s conversion to decimal currency in readiness for the change. It operated alongside the Melbourne Mint to create the new decimal coins. When the initial demand was met, the Melbourne Mint closed its doors.
The mint also produces a selection of bullion series products and commemorative coins for local and international collectors and investors. Renovations conducted between 1984 and 1986 helped meet the demand for these special coins.
All silver collector coins from the Royal Australian Mint are produced in limited quantities and sold in protective display boxes. Each one comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity, which guarantees that it’s struck from 99.9% fine silver. In addition to standard bullion, the Royal Australian Mint offers proof-quality coins, which are minted to the highest-quality finish with specially polished dies.
The Royal Australian Mint acknowledges the culture of the many Australians of Chinese heritage with its Lunar series coins. The mint annually releases a range of coins featuring the animal representing the current year according to the Sheng Xiao, or Chinese zodiac. The 2015 designs feature goats to celebrate the Year of the Goat. This follows 2014 designs for the Year of the Horse and 2013 designs for the Year of the Snake.
The Lunar series coins are available in 0.5 ounce, one ounce, two ounce, five ounce, ten ounce, one kilogram, and ten kilogram varieties, in standard bullion and silver proof finishes. Round and tetradecagon Lunar coins are available. Production of each year’s Lunar series coin ceases when the mintage is fully sold or the year comes to a close, whichever occurs first.
One of the newest collections from the Royal Australian Mint is its RAM Silver Koala Collection. Launched in 2024, the collection features a unique depiction of the koala on the reverse. The debut issue is limited to 25,000 coins with 1 Troy oz of .999 pure silver. The Royal Australian Mint debuted the series in 2024 with an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but will feature her bust only in the debut issue before switching to a portrait of His Majesty King Charles III.
RAM plans to continue its Australian Koala Series with new depictions of the marsupial each year, and options that include 1 oz BU silver, 1 oz BU gold, and 1 oz proof silver coins.
The Royal Australian Mint’s Kangaroo series is one of its most enduring, with the first introduced in 1993. Unlike most legal tender bullion coins, the design of the kangaroo coins changes every year. Previous editions have seen the iconic marsupial jumping, grazing, and socializing with others in a mob, and enjoying some solitude. No matter what its design, each unit is a one troy ounce silver bullion coin.
Each new kangaroo coin is generally released in proof and frosted uncirculated formats. Since 2003, some kangaroo coins have also featured selective gold plating.
The Australia’s Most Dangerous Series highlights some of the continent’s most notorious and lethal creatures. This series typically showcases iconic Australian animals known for their danger, such as the saltwater crocodile, the great white shark, the funnel-web spider, and the box jellyfish. Each coin in this series typically features a highly detailed and realistic depiction of the featured animal, often set against a backdrop that enhances the theme of danger.
The Royal Australian Mint’s Antarctic Territory Series features stunning designs that pay tribute to the icy continent of Antarctica and its unique wildlife. The series typically includes coins depicting various Antarctic themes such as penguins, seals, icebergs, and polar landscapes. These coins often have intricate details and beautiful finishes, making them highly sought after by collectors who appreciate both the artistry and the subject matter.
The Australia’s Coat of Arms Series celebrates one of Australia’s most recognizable national symbols, the Australian Coat of Arms. This series typically features coins that showcase the Coat of Arms, which consists of a shield depicting symbols representing Australia’s states and territories, supported by a kangaroo and an emu. In addition to the national emblem, the Coat of Arms for Australia’s states and territories are included in the collection. The coins in this series often incorporate intricate detailing and traditional design elements, making them both visually appealing and culturally significant.
The Royal Australian Mint is located in Deakin, a suburb of Australia’s capital city Canberra. It holds an esteemed place in Australia as its first independent mint and the creator of all new legal tender coins in Australian circulation. Additionally, it produces military and civilian medals, including the Order of Australia medals and the medals for the 2000 Summer Olympics hosted in Sydney. The Royal Australian Mint also creates collector coins, commercial tokens, and currency for several Asian and South Pacific countries.
Extensive renovations in the 1980s helped the mint meet demand for its popular collector coins and improve its visitor facilities. Further renovations in the 2000s saw industrial robots becoming a part of the mint’s high-tech manufacturing process. In 2014, the Australian government announced plans to privatize the Royal Australian Mint.
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