The Perth Mint of Australia unveiled the Lunar Series I coin program in 1996 with astounding results. Never before had a coin series featured all the animals of the Zodiac, and this program can take credit for starting a craze that continues today on various coins and bars from mints around the world. The 2006 1 oz Gold Australian Dog Coin is now available through Silver.com.
Coin Highlights:
- Limited mintage of only 24,334 coins!
- Consists of 1 ounce of .9999 fine gold.
- Bears a face value of $100 (AUD) backed by Australia’s government.
- Ships to you in an individual capsule.
- Approved for inclusion in Precious Metal IRA accounts.
- Available right now in Brilliant Uncirculated condition.
The Lunar Series I was introduced for the first time in 1996 with the Year of the Mouse coin. Each year through 2007, the Perth Mint released a new coin with a reverse image that correlated to the animal featured on that year’s Chinese Lunar Calendar. Each of the 12 animals of the Zodiac were eventually represented in the series.
For the second-to-last year, the Year of the Dog was featured on a Lunar Series I coin. In Chinese lore, a Great Race was held by the animals responding to the Jade Emperor’s call for a meeting. As the animals raced to meet him, the order in which they arrived corresponded to the order they were eventually placed in on the Zodiac. The dog would finish in 11th.
On the reverse side of the coin is the image of a dog. Depicted on all fours in an alert pose, a small patch of grass is visible below the animal’s body. The year of minting, the weight, metal content, and purity of the coin, and the Mandarin Chinese symbol for dog are all engraved on this side.
The obverse bears the standard imagery used on all Australian coins. Ian Rank-Broadley’s right-profile portrait of England’s Queen Elizabeth II is featured in the center, surrounded by the engravings “Elizabeth II,” “Australia,” and the face value of the coin.
Australia’s Perth Mint is the oldest operating facility in the country. Although the Royal Australian Mint handles all official currency production, as a state-owned entity of the government of Western Australia, the Perth Mint’s coins are viewed as legal tender.
If you have questions for a Silver.com associate, don’t hesitate to call us at 888-989-7223. We’re also available online through our live chat and email services.
