Kangaroo Gold Coin and Silver Coin (compared to the Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin)
Since 1986, Perth Mint has been releasing the Australian Kangaroo Gold Nugget bullion coin. With this coin, kangaroo and Australia fans can choose a beautiful and durable investment option. What does the kangaroo gold coin look like?
The kangaroo gold coin features an annually changing kangaroo design on the reverse and a portrait of Australian Head of State Elizabeth II on the obverse.
Designs
The Australian gold coin is known both as "Gold Nugget" and since 1995 as "Gold Kangaroo". But what is the design of the kangaroo gold coin?
In recent years, the obverse of the gold coin showed one or two red kangaroos. Likewise, the obverse shows the words "Austalian Kangaroo", the weight of the coin, the purity "9999", as well as the year of minting.
Since 1995, the gold coin has consistently shown kangaroos - which are probably Australia's most famous animals.
Does the kangaroo gold coin have a different design every year?
Australian gold coins change the design annually. Common designs are kangaroos in an upright position, jumping kangaroos, fighting kangaroos, or drinking kangaroos.
Animals of the species "red kangaroo" serve as a blueprint. This species is the largest marsupial and is native to the dry interior of the Australian continent (outback).
Few other gold coins, such as the Chinese Gold Panda, have a different design each year.
Kangaroo Gold Coin Next to a Kangaroo Silver Coin
This is what the reverse of the kangaroo gold and silver coins look like when viewed side by side:
The 1 ounce silver coin shows a jumping red giant kangaroo on the reverse. It also contains the words "Australian Kangaroo", the year of minting, the weight (1 oz) and the purity.
Where does the name "Gold Nugget" come from?
Australian gold coins are sometimes called "Gold Nugget".
Kangaroos were not always the major design of Australian gold coins. Where does the name Australian Gold Nugget come from?
In the early years of mintage from 1987 to 1995, Australian gold coins featured the designs of various famous gold nuggets found in Australia.
For economic reasons, kangaroos were chosen as a design from 1996 onwards. The reason for this is that animals are a more popular design for bullion coins than gold nuggets. This was to increase the number of gold coins sold.
Since 1996, the coin has consistently featured annually changing kangaroo designs.
Portrait of the Obverse
What does the front of the kangaroo gold coin show?
The obverse of the kangaroo coin features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and since 2019, the "fifth portrait" of the Queen and Australia's head of state has been used. The design was made by Jody Clark.
The obverse of the kangaroo gold nugget shows Elizabeth II looking at the right side of the coin. She wears the "Diamond Diadem" which she also wore at her coronation as Queen in 1953.
The portrait shows the queen almost up to her shoulders. She also wears a necklace.
The obverse of the kangaroo gold coin and silver coin shows a portrait of Elizabeth II:
Both coins show the same design of the head of state.
The image below shows the obverse of the kangaroo gold coin, as well as other images of Elizabeth II on Australian $5 banknotes, English £10 banknotes, and numerous Australian dollar coins. The coin in the middle shows the ¼ ounce kangaroo gold coin.
Since 1953, there have only been five different portraits of the Queen on coins. The current "fifth portrait" is shown on the gold coin.
Comparison: Austrian Vienna Philharmonic Gold Coin
In this section we would like to compare kangaroo gold coins and kangaroo silver coins with the Austrian Gold Philharmonics and Austrian Silver Philharmonics.
The picture shows a ¼ oz of the Vienna Philharmonic as well as a ¼ oz of the Kangaroo Gold coin. On the right side you can see 1 oz of the Silver Kangaroo as well as 1 oz of the Silver Philharmonic.
Which gold coin is bigger?
The kangaroo gold coin has a smaller diameter than the gold philharmonic. The kangaroo ¼ ounce gold coin has a diameter of 20.6 mm and the ¼ ounce gold Philharmonic has a diameter of 22 mm. However, the kangaroo gold coin is slightly thicker. Both coins have the same weight and the same purity of 999.9 / 1000.
Which silver coin is bigger?
The kangaroo silver coin has a larger diameter than the silver philharmonic. Therefore the silver philharmonic is thicker than the kangaroo silver coin. The 1 ounce silver Philharmonic has a diameter of 37 mm, the kangaroo silver coin has a diameter of 40.6 mm.
Popularity
Australian Gold Kangaroo Nuggets are among the world's most popular bullion coins. Together with the Austrian Vienna Philharmonic, the Canadian Gold Maple, the Chinese Gold Panda, the Krugerrand from South Africa, and the American Gold Eagle, they are among the world's most recognized bullion coins.
As a result, the coins are usually purchasable and saleable worldwide. Kangaroo gold coins are also popular and tradable in the Asian region in financial centres such as Hong Kong and Singapore due to their geographical proximity to Australia.
With a purity of .9999, the Australian Gold Kangaroo Nuggets are among the purest gold coins in the world, just like the Canadian Gold Maple and Vienna Gold Philharmonics.
Editions
The Australian Kangaroo Gold Nuggets are available in different sizes.
Of great distinction is the gold coin weighing 1 ton (1000 kg or 2204 lb). The value of this coin is about 56 million USD depending on the gold price.
The 1 kilogram gold coin is also exceptional.
The following table shows an extract from the current issues of the Australian Kangaroo Gold Nugget:
| Edition | Weight | Diameter | Thickness | Nominal value | Selling price | Mint years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1⁄10 oz. | 3.11 g | 16.10 mm | 1.30 mm | 15 AUD | 214 USD | as of 1986 |
| 1/4 ounce | 7.78 g | 20.60 mm | 2.00 mm | 25 AUD | 488 USD | as of 1986 |
| ½ ounce | 15.55 g | 25.10 mm | 2.20 mm | 50 AUD | 953 USD | as of 1986 |
| 1 ounce | 31.10 g | 32.10 mm | 2.65 mm | 100 AUD | 1 793 USD | as of 1986 |
| 1 kilogram | 1000 g (2.2 lb) | 74.50 mm | 15.80 mm | 10,000/3000 AUD | 60 400 USD | as of 1991 |
| 1 ton | 1000 kg (2204 lb) | approx. 800 mm | approx. 120 mm | AUD 1,000,000 | 56 000 000 USD | 2012 |
The selling price or value of the coins depends on the price of gold. The prices shown here are indicative at the time of writing.
Which is your favorite gold coin?
Production
Who produces the kangaroo gold coins?
The Australian Kangaroo Gold Nugget is minted by Perth Mint. It is Australia's official mint and wholly owned by the government of Western Australia. Perth Mint was founded in 1899 to refine the gold found in the region.
Anyone who has ever been to Western Australia sees the huge mines for the mining of various metals. Today gold is the third most important export product of Western Australia after iron ore and oil.
The content of this webpage is not investment advice and does not constitute any offer or solicitation to offer or recommend any investment product. It is for general purposes only and does not take into account your individual needs, investment objectives and specific financial circumstances. Investment involves risk.
