Australian Lunar 1996-2007

The Perth Mint Australian Lunar Series Gold Bullion Coins have become some of the most popular collector coins minted in recent times. Because The Perth Mint sells the Lunar Series gold coins at bullion coins prices, bullion coin investors also are buying the Lunar Series 1-ounce gold coins, and many bullion coin investors are becoming collectors.

CHINESE LUNAR CALENDAR

The Lunar Series is based on the ancient 12-year Chinese Lunar Calendar, which dates back beyond 2,600BC. The Lunar Calendar is steeped in tradition and symbolism, and features a different animal with each year. Based on the appearance of the new moon, the Lunar Calendar associates a difference animal with each year in the 12-year cycle.

Although China uses the Gregorian calendar for civil purposes, the lunar calendar is used for determining festivals. The Chinese believe each animal has a profound influence on the personality of those born under its rule.

SERIES

All the gold coins of the 12-coin series have been minted. This cycle of the Lunar Calendar began with the Year of the Rat in 1996 and concludes in 2007 with the Year of the Pig. All coins in the Lunar Series are legal tender Australian coins.

The Lunar Series Gold Coins are 999.9 fine (24-karat). Each Lunar Series coin is individually encapsulated in a protective acrylic case.

COLLECTOR FAVORITES

The primary reason for the coins' popularity is their exquisite quality. Many collectors of Perth Mint coins assert that The Perth Mint is without equal when it comes to producing collector coins.

DESIGN

Until 1999, Lunars were produced in four sizes – 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz and 1 oz. Since 2000, 2 oz, 10 oz and 1 kg coins were added to the range, and in 2004, a 1/2 oz gold coin joined the family.

Lunar coins are very popular among collectors due to their attractive appearance and high quality. These gold coins are real works of art. Extremely fine details, relief images as well as a range of mirror and matte surfaces are crafted in 99.99% pure gold.

All the Lunar coins are legal tender in Australia, which is why their front side carries an image of Queen Elizabeth II, a nominal value and the name of the country of origin.

The reverse side of lunar coins is has an image of the animal for the respective year. The reverse side also has a Chinese character signifying the name of the animal, the year of issue as well as the weight and proof of gold.

The coins are packaged in protective plastic capsules that can be accompanied with a special gift box available separately.

LIMITED PRODUCTION COINS

Another reason for the Lunar Series coins' popularity is that they are limited production coins. In contrast, Gold Eagles, which are the world's best-selling 22-karat gold coins, and Gold Maple Leafs, the world's best-selling 24-karat gold coins, are unlimited production coins. The 1-ounce Lunar Series gold coins are limited to 30,000 coins for each year and clearly have become collector favorites.

Production limits:

Final Mintages of Australian Lunar Series I (1996-2007):

Another feature that makes the Lunar Series popular is that The Perth Mint can produce back-dated coins until the production cap is met. This means that the earlier coins are still available and can be bought at or near bullion coin prices, which permits collectors who learn of the Series late to acquire the earlier coins at bullion coin prices. The policy of minting coins from earlier years is unique to The Perth Mint for only the Lunar Series coins.

PRICE

Lunar coins of the current year are sold on the basis of the price of gold, similar to Australian Nuggets. Australian Lunar Series 1 production has ended and these coins are available only on the secondary market. Some coins of the series (Dragon, Horse, Snake) have become so rare that they are sold dozens of percentages over the gold market rate.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

AVAILABLE SIZES

Legend

According to a Chinese legend, one day 12 days started to argue about who will get to rule the yearly cycle first. They turned to the gods, asking them to decide and organised a competition: whoever is the first to reach the opposite river bank will be the first and the rest of the animals will rule in the order of their arrival at the destination.

All 12 animals gathered on the riverbank and jumped into the river. During the course of the competition, the Rat jumped onto the back of a slow but stubborn ox.  When the ox was a couple of feet away from its destination, the rat jumped off, ran towards the finish line and took the victory along with the right to be the ruler of the first year of the Lunar calendar. The rat was followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, the dog and the pig.

The Chinese believe that the animal ruling a person's year of birth has a great effect on his or her personality. The following paragraph gives an overview of some of the qualities that are associated with the years:

The year of the Rat – creative, charming and honest
The year of the Ox – natural born leaders and good with hands
The year of the Tiger – caring, sensitive and fearless
The year of the Rabbit – romantic, talented and successful
The year of the Dragon – intelligent, energetic and talented
The year of the Snake – good looking, charming and prosperous
The year of the Horse – soulful, independent, optimistic and perspicacious
The year of the Sheep/Goat – charming, creative and successful
The year of the Monkey – pleasant, with a good sense of humour and magnetic
The year of the Rooster – honest, hard working, talented, straightforward, independent and consistent
The year of the Dog – loyal, trustworthy and ethical
The year of the Pig – cheery, patient, understanding, honest and caring

 
COLLECTORS WEBSITE - Read more about these coins from LunarCollectorCoins.com