The Perth Mint of Australia is upping the ante with the release of a unique 2012 Year of the Dragon Silver Coin Set.
This silver coin set continues the Year of the Dragon celebration which began on January 23, 2012 with ten individual silver coins all depicting the same image of the mythical creature but featuring different coloring treatments.
Silver Lunar Coins are not a new concept for the Perth Mint of Australia. The minting facility began producing the Lunar Series I in 1999 with Lunar Series II coins making their debut in 2008. Since their inaugural release, they have proven to be extremely popular with collectors who seek them out for their 99.9% fine silver compositions and unique designs.
The latest 2012 design first appeared on Perth Mint releases back in October when the 2012 Year of the Dragon Gold and Silver Bullion Coins were first issued. These bullion coins were struck in seven different sizes ranging from 1/20 ounce all the way to 10 kilo. A high relief coin with the same design was released in March and sold out in less than a day. The design depicts the dragon along with a representation of a pearl of wisdom. Underneath the creature, an inscription of "Year of the Dragon" is found while to the right of the design the Perth Mint’s historic ‘P’ mintmark is seen. Also shown in the image is the Chinese character for dragon.
Nine of the coins of the set feature the dragon colorized to different hues including red, blue, brown, purple, silver, white, yellow, black and gold. The tenth coin offers the traditional bullion finish without any coloring added.
Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Queen Elizabeth II graces the obverse of each coin with each struck as legal tender of Australia under the Australian Currency Act of 1965. Obverse inscriptions include "ELIZABETH II," "AUSTRALIA," "2012," "1 DOLLAR" and "1 oz 999 SILVER."
All ten of the coins, aside from their different colors, are struck to the same specifications. These specifications are offered in the table below:
2012 Year of the Dragon Silver Coin Specifications
| Silver Content (Troy oz) | 1 |
| Face Value (AUS) | $1 |
| Fineness (% purity) | 99.9 |
| Minimum Gross Weight (g) | 31.135 |
| Maximum Diameter (mm) | 45.60 |
| Maximum Thickness (mm) | 2.60 |
The complete 2012 Year of the Dragon Silver Coin Set comes with a presentation case inside a custom-designed shipper. A numbered certificate of authenticity is also included which indicates the limited maximum mintage of just 2,500 sets.
Sets may be purchased for AUS $900.00 (~US $935) directly from the Perth Mint of Australia. Prices may change daily depending on the direction of the silver market.
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For more information or to place an order, visit The Perth Mint website at www.perthmint.com.au.
About the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint is responsible for striking the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program as well as some of the most unique numismatic products issued in the world. The facility is owned by the State Government of Western Australia but was originally constructed in 1899 as a branch of the Royal Mint of England.
