The Perth Mint of Australia is offering a unique set of silver proof World War II fighter plane coins for collectors. The Perth Mint is known for their production of themed legal tender coins, but this latest series of coins directly touches the history of five different countries and their mintage limit is capped to a very low quantity of 1,500 sets.
The World War II Fighter coins are striking in appearance with their proof quality and one ounce of 99.9% silver content. The colorized coins come within a 5-coin set. Each coins pays tribute to five World War II fighter plane designs.
- North American P-51 Mustang
- Hawker Hurricane
- Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen
- Messerschmitt Bf109
- Yakovlev Yak-3
Fighter plane coin design descriptions
The Perth Mint website briefly describes each plane:
North American P-51 Mustang
Escorting US bombers deep inside Germany and making a similarly notable contribution in the Pacific theatre, the Mustang’s pivotal role during the latter half of the War persuaded many that it was one of the greatest US fighters ever built.
Hawker Hurricane
The RAF’s first monoplane fighter was also its first fighter capable of exceeding 300mph in level flight. Often perceived as a back up to the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hurricane was, in fact, Fighter Command’s most telling weapon during the Battle of Britain.
Mitsubishi A6M Zero-Sen
An impressively armed and highly manoeuvrable shipboard fighter, the Zero stunned the US with its appearance over Pearl Harbour in 1941. In the latter stages of the War, the legendary fighter became the Japanese Navy’s prime kamikaze attack bomber.
Messerschmitt Bf109
Fast, manoeuvrable and versatile, the Bf109 destroyed more enemy aircraft during WWII than any other German fighter. One of the secrets of its success was a fuel injection system that maintained a constant fuel supply during extreme manoeuvres.
Yakovlev Yak-3
The Yak-3 was the exceptional Soviet fighter of its era. Particularly effective in dogfights at altitudes below 5,000 metres, the agile aircraft dominated the skies above the Eastern Front during the final phase of WWII.
Price and order information
The limited 1,500 five-coin set is currently priced at:
- $347.70 (US)
- $375.00 (AUS)
While the very low mintage is very attractive for collectors and especially so when taking into account the potential interest from collectors in at least five different countries, the coins are also sold at a high premium above their bullion value. It is an interesting mix in the buying decision.
The set of coins may be ordered online through the Perth Mint product page:
About the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint, wholly-owned by the State Government of Western Australia, is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. The Mint opened in 1899 in response to the discovery of rich gold deposits in Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. It was Australia’s third branch of Britain’s Royal Mint – the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint (both closed).
The Perth Mint remained under Britain’s jurisdiction until 1 July 1970, when ownership transferred to the State Government of Western Australia.
In 2003, The Perth Mint officially opened an 8,400 square metre state-of-the-art manufacturing facility next door to its original limestone building. Dominating the Mint’s heritage precinct, these two important buildings are powerful symbols of more than 100 years of minting excellence in Western Australia.
