Gold Lunar Specifications, Information & History

The Australian Lunar coin series celebrates Chinese astrology and the Chinese zodiac. The 12-year series features releases marking the Year of the Mouse, Year of the Ox, Year of the Tiger, Year of the Rabbit, Year of the Dragon, Year of the Snake, Year of the Horse, Year of the Goat, Year of the Monkey, Year of the Rooster, Year of the Dog and Year of the Pig.

The coins contain 99.99% pure gold (24k) and have a highly polished design on a frosted background. Originally only available in Gold the Lunar coins are now available in silver. All Lunar coins are legal tender under the Australian Currency Act 1965 and have an image of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination on the obverse. The design on the reverse side of the coin changes annually, featuring an image reflecting the relevant Chinese zodiac year, for example 2011 - Year of the Rabbit.

Australian Lunar Gold Coin Series I – 1996 - 2007

The initial series of the Australian Lunar Gold Coin debuted in 1996 with the Year of the Rat and ended in 2007 with the Year of the Pig. Published minting information for series one is available on the Perth Mint website.

Australian Lunar Gold Coin Series II - 2008 - present

Like Series I, this second series features designs drawn from the Chinese Lunar Calendar and Perth Mint shows availability of coins in nine sizes on its website - 10 kilo, 1 kilo, 10oz, 2oz, 1oz, 1/2oz, 1/4oz, 1/10oz and 1/20oz. However, availability of sizes can vary between mint years, with 1 oz ¼ oz and 1/10 oz most commonly available. 2011 coins are featuring the Year of the Rabbit (2011), the fourth animal in the twelve year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. The specifications in the table below are for the 2010 Gold Lunar “Year of the Tiger” coin, by way of an example:

Gold Lunar Technical Specifications


Size	Face Value AUS$	Total Weight (g)	Fineness /1.000	Gold Content (T oz)	Gold Content (g)	Diameter (mm)
1 Oz	$ 100	31.104	.9999	1.00	31.104	39.34
Quarter	$ 25	7.776	.9999	0.25	7.776	22.60
Tenth	$ 15	3.110	.9999	0.10	3.110	18.10

Owing to the fine design and the quality in 99.9% (24k) gold, the Lunar Gold Coin series have become very popular with collectors and investors alike. The image used for HM Queen Elizabeth II was updated in 1999, making those coins produced from 1996 – 1998 more sought after. There are also limited mint numbers annually for Lunar coins, with further details available on the Perth Mint website.