A unique three-coin 2012 Australian Outback Collection is available now from the Perth Mint of Australia. Limited to 5,000, each coin set features three one-half ounce silver coins depicting a trio of the most iconic creatures found in the Australian outback.
Those three creatures include the kangaroo, the koala and the kookaburra. Reverse designs showcase them in life-like color surrounded by their natural habitat.
The collection is a first for the Perth Mint. Never before have these three members of Australia’s fauna been featured together in a colored, 99.9% fine silver collection.
The kangaroo coin reverse places the marsupial in a traditional bush scene. A windmill and water tank can be seen behind and to the left of the kangaroo adding to the realism of the outback background.
Depicted on the reverse of the koala coin is a sleeping adult koala. The front limbs of the creature are dangling along the side of a eucalyptus tree branch.
The third strike in the 2012 Australian Outback Collection, the kookaburra coin, offers a colored image of the bird as it perches on the branch of a tree. Green gum leaves flank the kookaburra and are also depicted below the bird.
Each reverse contains inscriptions identifying the depicted creature with "AUSTRALIAN KANGAROO," "AUSTRALIAN KOALA" or "AUSTRALIAN KOOKABURRA," plus "2012 1/2 oz 999 SILVER". The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mint mark is found on the reverse to the left of each design.
These coins are struck as legal tender of Australia with a face value of $0.50 under the Australian Currency Act of 1965. Accordingly, the obverses contain Ian Rank-Broadley’s effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The portrait is surrounded by the inscriptions of "ELIZABETH II," "AUSTRALIA" and "50 CENTS."
Specifications for Coins in 2012 Australian Outback Collection
| Silver Content (Troy oz) | 0.50 |
| Face Value (AUD) | $0.50 |
| Fineness (% purity) | 99.9 |
| Minimum Gross Weight (g) | 15.591 |
| Maximum Diameter (mm) | 36.60 |
| Maximum Thickness (mm) | 2.30 |
| Obverse Designer | Ian Rank-Broadley |
| Reverse Designer | varies |
The 2012 Australian Outback Collection is available directly from the Perth Mint. Initial pricing is listed at AUS $154.00, but that is subject to change based on silver market conditions.
Each three-coin set is presented in a single black display case along with a numbered certificate of authenticity. The set is shipped inside an illustrated shipper which depicts a photographic image of the Australian outback and full-color representations of each of the three coins.
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About the Perth Mint
The Perth Mint (www.perthmint.com.au) is the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program. It was Australia’s third branch of Britain’s Royal Mint when it opened in 1899 (the others being the Sydney Mint and the Melbourne Mint, which are both now closed).
Ownership of the Perth Mint was transferred to the State Government of Western Australia in 1970 who still operates the facility today.
