World Coin series: Coins from Australia - Part 1

With an extensive choice of American coins, we sometimes forget that there is a whole world of beautiful coinage out there for us to enjoy. Mints like the Royal Canadian mint, the Royal Mint in UK, the Australian mints, the Japanese mint, the Chinese mints and other notable mints release beautiful coins every year. To honor these mints and coins in Shopcsn blog, we are planning to release a series of blog posts called the World coin series. And the first one we have picked are the coins from down-under - Coins from Australia.

The Australian mints

Australian coins are some of the most preferred coins over the world because of their beautiful designs, ingenuity and purity. During the 19^th century, three mints were set up; Sydney mint, Perth Mint and the Melbourne mint. These were branches of the Royal Mint in London when Australia was still a penal colony of the British Empire.

The Sydney mint was set up in 1854 as the first branch of the Royal Mint outside of London. The mint was closed in 1926 as it couldn't keep up with the other two mints that had advanced technology. The Melbourne mint was set up in 1872 and minted only gold sovereigns till 1916. In between 1927 and 1967 it minted all Australian coins after which it was closed.

The Perth Mint was established in 1899 and was under Great Britain till 1970 after which it came under the Government of Western Australia. It is the only mint that was originally under the British Empire and still operational after more than 100 years. The Royal Australian Mint was established in 1965 in Canberra and it is the sole producer of all circulating coins in Australia.

2017 Perth Mint Coins

Compass 2017 2oz Silver Antiqued coin

This is a unique coin as it holds a real compass in the middle albeit an ornamental one surrounded by an ancient world map with mythical sea creatures. Struck with 2 oz of 99.9% pure Silver it was designed by Aleysha Howarth. An accomplished Perth Mint designer, Aleysha has the Australian Opal design series to her name where real opals are embedded in coins, much like the Compass coin. The reverse has an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, the words '2 DOLLARS', 'TUVALU', '2017' and 'QUEEN ELIZABETH II' in the rim. The coin has a limited mintage of 2500 coins.

Mini Roo 2017 0.5g Gold Coin

The Kangaroo the quintessential symbol of Australia is a recurring theme in Australian coins. The Mini Roo Gold coin this year has a hopping Kangaroo in its reverse designed by Jennifer McKenna. In its obverse it has an effigy of the Ian Rank-Broadley design of Queen Elizabeth II. The coin is struck from 0.5g of 99.99% pure Gold.

Polar babies - 2017 Polar Bear 1/2oz Silver Proof Coin

The Polar Bear Silver Proof coin features a cute Polar bear cub in its habitat. This coin is part of a Polar babies series which includes an emperor penguin, harp seal, sea otter and an arctic fox coin.In its obverse it has an effigy of the Ian Rank-Broadley design of Queen Elizabeth II. The coin is struck from 0.5oz of 99.99% Pure Silver and has a limited mintage of 5000.

ANZAC day 2017 - Australian Intelligence Corps $1 Coin

The Australian Intelligence Corps was established in 1907 to provide intelligence to commanders on the terrain, enemy positions and tactics. The Anzac day 2017 coin reverse design shows two intelligence corps personnel looking at enemy locations in a map with a silhouette of a bugler in the background. The obverse shows the effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The coin has a face value of $1 and is made of Aluminium Bronze.

Australian Koala 2017 2oz Silver High Relief Antiqued Coin

The Australian Koala lives in its own 'home' among several trees and visits the same tree everyday. Here in the 2oz Silver coin reverse it shows an adult Koala in a Euclayptus tree surrounded by gum nuts, gum leaves and gum blossoms. The coin is struck in high relief and has an antique finish.

Berlin Coin Show Special 2017 Australian Kookaburra 1oz Silver Coloured Coin

The Australian Kookaburra actually belongs to the 'Kingfisher' family but unlike the Kingfisher they are not associated with water bodies. Theyhave loud call sounds that mimic human laughter. Since 1990, the Silver Kookaburra coin has been released in Australia. This year it has been specially packaged for the World Money fair in Berlin. It contains 99.9% pure Silver and has a mintage of 2000 coins.

Year of the Rooster 2017 Stamp & Coin Cover

The Chinese New year is celebrated every year for almost 15 days starting from the New Moon day falling between 21st January and 20th February (as per Gregorian Calendar). It's celebrated in countries with a significant Chinese population including Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore,Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mauritius, Australia, and the Philippines. Each year, according to Chinese tradition, belongs to an animal. This year is the turn of the Rooster. Rooster year born kids are believed to behardworking, loyal, honest, and sociable.

The Perth Mint has released the Year of the Rooster Stamp and coin cover. The Aluminium bronze coin has a face value of $1 and has a reverse design of arooster, a hen, and three chicks standing amongst bamboo foliage and flowers. The Chinese character for 'rooster' and the words 'Year of the Rooster' in English also appears around the design.

For the Perth ANDA Money Expo, the 'Year of the Rooster' coin design also comes in a coloured version. It has a mintage of only 1000 coins.

ANZAC Spirit 100th Anniversary coin

During the Third Battle of Ypres 1917, an important campaign in the First World War, the British Commonwealth countries had fought along with their British counterparts. Many Australian soldiers marched along the 'Menin Gate', the Eastern gate in Ypres, Belgium, to reach the battlefields ofYpres Salient on the frontline. The 'Menin Gate' is treated as a poignant memorial of all the soldiers who would pass through it but never return. The ANZAC Spirit 100th Anniversary coin shows a group of Australian soldiers walking past the ruins of the 'Cloth Hall' towards the Ypres Salient battlefield. It includes the inscriptions '1917' 'Many Never Returned'.

Upcoming releases of the Perth Mint for this year will enlighten and entertain us with the 10th Anniversary Australian Koala, Norse Goddess Freya coin, another ANZAC spirit 100th Anniversary coin, the Australian Sovereign Gold Proof coin and so on.

The next part of the 'Coins from Australia' will focus on the 'Royal Australian Mint' coins.