Perth Mint Gold Koalas

Perth Mint Gold Koala Coins

When it comes to investing and collecting precious metal coins, the products of the Perth Mint are on the must-have list for numismatists and investors everywhere. Among the popular line of coins struck by Australia’s oldest mint, the Australian Koala coin is the single most popular coin from the mint. Produced in both gold and silver each year, the Perth Mint Gold Koala Coin is particularly attractive because of its ever-changing design and impressive .9999 purity.

Perth Mint Koala Coins

The Australian Koala series of coins from the Perth Mint were first introduced in silver in 2007. The Gold Australian Koala debuted one year later in 2008, and remains in production on an annual basis. There is not as much variety available in the Gold Koala series as its silver counterpart, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a coin for everyone in the series. Perth Mint Gold Koalas are available in proof in a 2 oz, 1 oz high-relief, ½ oz, ¼ oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/25 oz weight.

There is also a bullion coin available in the Gold Koala series that is particularly unique. Starting in 2013, the Perth Mint introduced a ½ gram gold coin known as the Mini Koala. Both the proof coins and the Mini Koala bullion coins share some of the following features:

• Contain .9999 pure gold.
• Considered legal tender in Australia.
• Produced in limited mintages each year.
• New designs used each year.
• Available in presentation packaging.
• Approved for inclusion in Precious Metal IRAs.

The face value of each of the coins is dependent upon the weight of the coin, and is not reflective of the true value of each coin. Face values assigned to each coin are as follows:

• 2 oz: $200 AUD
• 1 oz: $100 AUD
• ½ oz: $50 AUD
• ¼ oz: $25 AUD
• 1/10 oz: $15 AUD
• 1/25 oz: $4 AUD
• ½ gram: $2 AUD

There is no specific mintage cap set for the Mini Koala coin, but the Perth Mint Gold Koala Proofs are often capped at 20,000 coins annually. The Perth Mint uses a maximum mintage approach to its coin production, which means that once a set mark is reached in the year, no more coins are struck with that mint year. In the case of these Gold Koala coins, it means the end of that particular design as a production feature, as well.

Design of Perth Mint Gold Koala Coins

As with many of the other coin programs from the Perth Mint, the design features of the Gold Koala coins change from one year to the next. While the motif always focuses on the nocturnal marsupial in its natural habitat, the specific design characteristics change each year. In addition to the koala itself, its favorite source of food, the eucalyptus, is often featured in the design.

In recent years, the design trend has skewed toward featuring just one koala. While the original coin in the series, the 2008 design, featured an adult and its young, many of the coins since then feature just one adult koala.

The 2015 Gold Australian Koala, for example, features a lone adult sitting in the crook of a tree. Its feet grip the base of the tree, while the claws on its hands hold on firmly to the branches for stability. The creature’s fur is featured in great detail, with its deep, black eyes gazing off into the distance. A random outcrop of the Australian Outback is visible behind the koala. Engravings of “Australian Koala” above and the coin’s weight, purity, and metal content below accompany the design on the reverse side.

On the obverse side of the Perth Mint Gold Koala is the traditional image of Queen Elizabeth II. Featured in right-profile relief and designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, the Queen’s image is surrounded by engravings that include her name, “Elizabeth II,” the nation of issue, and the face value of the specific coin.

There is a slight adjustment made in the design for the Mini Koala coins. While the primary design from the proof coins is used, it is altered each year to focus only on the koala given the smaller surface area available to work with. The only engravings on the reverse are the weight, purity, and metal content, while Queen Elizabeth II’s image on the obverse remains unchanged.

History of the Perth Mint

Investors and collectors purchasing products designed and struck by the Perth Mint are obtaining some of the finest products in the world. Opened in 1899, the Perth Mint is the oldest operating facility in Australia. It was originally part of the Royal Mint system in Australia controlled by the British Empire. Following the closure of the Sydney Mint and Melbourne Mint in the system, the Perth Mint was left as the oldest facility.

During its history, the Perth Mint has struck more than 106 million sovereign coins and 735,000 half-sovereigns used in Australia and throughout the British Empire. Although Australia’s federation as a commonwealth of independent states occurred in 1901, just two years after its founding, the Perth Mint remained in British control until 1970.

That year, the mint was handed over to the local government in the state of Western Australia. Today, the Perth Mint is viewed as one of the finest in the world. Among its many accomplishments, it designed the world’s largest, heaviest, and most valuable gold in 2011. The coin was 4.7 inches thick, weighed 2,231 lbs., and consisted of 99.99% pure gold with a face value as legal tender of $1 million AUD.

All coins struck at the Perth Mint are considered legal tender, even though the facility is separate of the national government’s Royal Australian Mint system. Under the Currency Act of 1965, all Perth Mint coins enjoy legal-tender status.

Purchasing Perth Mint Gold Koala Coins on Silver.com

Silver.com offers a number of payment methods to complete your purchase of Perth Mint Gold Koala coins. We accept Visa and MasterCard credit/debit cards, paper checks, bank wire transfers, and PayPal fund transfers. All forms of payment, except paper check, process immediately. Paper checks can take up to six days to process. Additionally, paper check and bank wire transactions come with a 4% discount on the purchase price.

Your products will be packaged and shipped in discreet boxes once your payment has processed. The United States Postal Service and UPS partner with Silver.com to ship your packages. We offer an affordable shipping payment scale based upon the total value of items purchased. All purchases in excess of $3,000 are eligible for free standard shipping and insurance. If you wish to request expedited shipping, it is available for an additional fee.

If you have any questions about Perth Mint Gold Koala coins, please feel free to contact a Silver.com associate at 888-989-7223. You can also connect with us conveniently online through our live web chat and email services.