New from the Perth Mint of Australia are 2013 Sydney Opera House 1/4 oz Gold Coins and Sydney Opera House 1 oz Silver Coins. These mark the inaugural coins from the one-year "Land Down Under" series.
Shown on the gold and silver coin reverses is a design emblematic of the Sydney Opera House, an iconic landmark for both Sydney and Australia that is recognized from around the world.
Construction on the opera house began in 1959 following a design competition. Selected were plans from Danish architect Jørn Utzon that gave the opera house its famous appearance that is reminiscent of the flotilla of sails and boats that frequented the harbor.
The opera house opened in 1973 and boasts about a thousand rooms. This includes five theaters, five rehearsal studios, two main halls and four restaurants.
"The Sydney Opera House is a famous tourist destination visited by millions of people every year," states the Perth Mint. "Its unique design and location make it one of the world’s most famous landmarks."
Both the 1/4 oz gold coin and the 1 oz silver coin feature the Sydney Opera House as designed by Natasha Muhl. Further enhancing the look of the silver coin design is a backdrop of colored fireworks framed within the map outline of the Australian continent.
The gold coin is struck from 99.99% pure gold with the silver coin composed from 99.9% pure silver. These compositions appear on the reverse of each coin with the inscriptions of "1/4 OZ 9999 GOLD" and "1 OZ 999 SILVER." Also inscribed on the reverse is the name of the series "THE LAND DOWN UNDER."
Each is legal tender of Australia and has Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II on the obverse. Her portrait is surrounded by inscriptions of "ELIZABETH II" and "AUSTRALIA 2013" along with the face value of the coin, "25 DOLLARS" for the gold strike and "1 DOLLAR" for the silver.
These coins arrive in an Australian map-shaped latex case with a numbered certificate of authenticity. Mintage are 1,000 for the gold coins and 5,000 for the silver coins.
Current pricing for the Sydney Opera House Gold Coin is AUS $690 (~US $717) and AUS $94.55 (~US $98) for the Sydney Opera House Silver Coin. Pricing is subject to change based on the precious metal market. They may be ordered directly from The Perth Mint website.
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Future "Land Down Under" Releases
As mentioned, the Sydney Opera House Coins are the first in "The Land Down Under" series. Upcoming releases include:
- Sydney Opera House 10 oz Silver and 2 oz Gold Coins
- Didgeridoo 1 oz Silver and 1/4 oz Gold Coins
- Captain Cook 1 oz Silver and 1/4 oz Gold Coins
- Surfing 1 oz Silver and 1/4 oz Gold Coins
See additional Perth Mint products from this site’s guide of Australian coins.
About the Perth Mint
The Royal Mint of England originally opened the Perth Mint of Australia (http://www.perthmint.com.au/) in 1899 as a branch of the London facility. It continued in operation as a branch of the Royal Mint until ownership transferred to the State Government of Western Australia in 1970.
Today, the Perth Mint is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. In addition, it produces some of the world’s most unusual collectible coins.
