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The Australian Lunar Coin Series, produced by the Perth Mint, is a collection of gold and silver coins depicting the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. The series, which began in 1996 with the Year of the Rat/Mouse, offers investors and collectors an opportunity to acquire beautiful pieces of art while investing in precious metals. The coins are available in various sizes, with the most common size being the 1-ounce coin, and smaller fractional sizes such as 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce. The Perth Mint's exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail have made the Lunar Coin Series highly sought-after by collectors worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Mint | The Perth Mint |
| Metal | Gold, Silver |
| Purity | 99.9% silver, 99.99% gold |
| Weight | 1 ounce, 0.5 ounce, 0.25 ounce, 0.1 ounce, 2 ounces, 5 ounces, 10 ounces, 1 kilogram |
| Finish | Frosted background, polished design |
| Legal Tender | Yes |
| Denomination | Yes |
| Obverse | Effigy of Queen Elizabeth II |
| Start of Production | 1996 (silver), 1999 (gold) |
| Zodiac Animals | Rat/Mouse, Horse, Sheep/Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig/Boar, Dragon, Snake, Rabbit, Tiger |
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What You'll Learn
The Perth Mint
The Mint's blog, The Perth Mint Coin Collector, offers an insight into the history of the Mint, including the story of the original Melting House. This attraction gives visitors a sense of what it was like to work in the Melting House, where gold was smelted, refined, and cast into ingots and coins for nine decades. The blog also includes tourism information, such as details of the Gold Pouring Performance, and encourages visitors to come and learn more about the history of the Mint and its processes.
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Lunar Series 1, 2 and 3
The Perth Mint's Lunar Series 1, 2, and 3 are popular choices for Chinese coin collectors and bullion buyers. Each coin in the Lunar series features an animal from the Chinese Zodiac and is available in a range of gold and silver designs and finishes. The Perth Mint offers a free service for all collector coins, bullion, jewellery, and gift orders up to AUD 70,000.
Lunar Series 1 was first released in 1996 and concluded in 2007. The series included 12 gold and silver coins, each featuring one of the animals from the Chinese Zodiac. The coins were available in various sizes, including 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz.
Lunar Series 2 was released in 2008 and concluded in 2019. This series also included 12 gold and silver coins, each featuring a different animal from the Chinese Zodiac. The coins were available in the same size options as Lunar Series 1.
Lunar Series 3 was first introduced in 2020 and is an ongoing series. Like its predecessors, Lunar Series 3 features 12 gold and silver coins, each showcasing an animal from the Chinese Zodiac. The coins are available in a range of sizes, including 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 10 kg, and 1-tonne options.
All three series are highly sought after by collectors and investors due to their intricate designs, limited mintages, and representation of the Chinese Zodiac. The gold and silver content of the coins also adds to their value and collectability.
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Gold and silver designs
The Perth Mint's Lunar series is a popular choice for Chinese coin collectors and bullion buyers. Each lunar series coin features an animal from the Chinese Zodiac, with the coins available in a range of gold and silver designs and finishes.
The Lunar series is available in gold and silver, with the silver coins struck from 99.9% pure silver, in bullion quality, with a highly polished design on a frosted background. The obverse side of the 2019 Australian Lunar Silver bullion coin displays the profile of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, designed by Ian Rank-Broadley. The effigy of Queen Elizabeth II is the centerpiece of the obverse side of all Australian bullion coins, designed by Jody Clark. The Lunar series has also been issued in gold since 1996.
The 2022 release in the Australian Lunar Series III features a tiger, with an adult and baby tiger on the reverse. The baby tiger follows its parent along the rocky ground on the outskirts of a forest. The parent stands proudly with one paw forward, looking confidently at the onlooker. The pair is surrounded by shrubbery, adding an additional dimension to the beautiful design. The reverse of the 2019 Series II Australian Lunar Silver Bullion coin features a mother pig and her piglets in the grass, designed by Aleysha Howarth.
The Lunar series is also available in other sizes, including 2 oz, 5 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 kilo.
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Chinese Zodiac animals
The Australian Lunar series coins, produced by the Perth Mint, feature animals from the Chinese Zodiac. Each coin in the series is struck from 99.9% pure silver, in bullion quality, with a highly polished design on a frosted background. The coins are legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965 and feature an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II.
The Chinese Zodiac, or Shengxiao, consists of 12 animals, each believed to influence people's personalities, careers, compatibility, marriages, and fortunes. The 12 animals, in order, are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Each year in the repeating 12-year cycle is represented by one of these animals. The Zodiac is deeply rooted in Chinese culture and philosophy and is believed to determine a person's horoscope and personality.
According to Chinese mythology, the Jade Emperor held a contest to decide which animals would be included in the Zodiac calendar. The Rat won the race and received the first year of the 12-year cycle, followed by the Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit. The Dragon, known for its good looks, was immediately noticed by the Emperor, who declared that the Dragon's son would receive the sixth year.
The Zodiac animals are also believed to have specific elemental attributes and celestial patterns, reflecting the ancient Chinese cosmology of the Five Elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The first Trine, consisting of the Rat, Dragon, and Monkey, is considered intense and powerful, with leadership qualities, but also unpredictable. The second Trine, consisting of the Ox, Snake, and Rooster, is associated with the element of Earth.
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Australian legal tender
The Australian Lunar Series coins are legal tender in Australia. The coins are minted by the Perth Mint, which is known for its craftsmanship and attention to detail. The Lunar Series is a collection of gold and silver coins depicting the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac, with each coin corresponding to a year in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The coins are struck from 99.9% pure silver or 99.99% fine gold, depending on the series, and are available in various sizes.
The Lunar Series began in 1996 with the Year of the Rat/Mouse coin and has continued annually since, with different animals featured each year, including the horse, sheep/goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig/boar. The gold series commenced in 1999 with the Year of the Rabbit coin and concluded in 2010 with the Year of the Tiger. Series 2 of the gold coins began in 2008 and ended in 2019. The silver series also started in 1999.
The Perth Mint releases several variations of the Lunar Series coins each year, including different sizes and finishes. The most common size is the 1-ounce coin, but smaller fractional sizes are also available, such as half-ounce, quarter-ounce, and one-tenth-ounce coins. Additionally, larger-sized coins are produced, such as 2-ounce, 5-ounce, 10-ounce, and even 1-kilogram coins.
As legal tender, the coins feature a face value corresponding to their weight and denomination. However, their intrinsic gold or silver value often far exceeds their face value. The coins are also popular among investors and collectors due to their numismatic value, quality, artistry, and limited mintage. The Lunar Series has gained a significant following worldwide and is recognised for its exceptional craftsmanship and intricate designs.
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Frequently asked questions
Australian Lunar coins are a series of gold and silver coins produced by the Perth Mint in Western Australia. The coins feature animals from the Chinese Zodiac, with each coin representing the respective zodiac animal for that year.
The Perth Mint started releasing the Lunar-themed coins in 1999 and has been producing them annually ever since. The Gold Lunar Series began in 1999 with the Year of the Rabbit coins and ended in 2010 with the Year of the Tiger coins.
The most common size is the 1-ounce coin, but smaller fractional sizes are available, such as 1/2 ounce, 1/4 ounce, and 1/10 ounce. The Perth Mint also produces larger-sized coins, including 2 ounces, 5 ounces, 10 ounces, and even 1 kilogram.
The Perth Mint is known for its exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail, evident in the intricate designs of the Lunar coin series. The coins are minted in high-quality .9999 fine silver or gold, making them popular among investors and collectors.
Yes, the silver Lunar coins are legal tender in Australia, with each coin featuring a face value corresponding to its weight and denomination. The gold Lunar coins are also legal tender.
