Australian Kangaroo: investment coin & record holder
Summary
- The Australian Kangaroo, initially called The Australian Nugget, is an Australian bullion coin available in gold, silver and platinum versions
- The most popular coins are the Gold Kangaroo and the Silver Kangaroo, which Australia’s Perth Mint has been producing since 1986 and 2015 respectively
- Both coins have a very high fineness of 999.9/1000
- The Gold Kangaroo holds the record for both the smallest and the largest gold investment coin, featuring denominations of 0.5 grams and one tonne respectively
- The coin features kangaroo motifs on the obverse – although this image only changes annually on the Gold Kangaroo – with a depiction of the Commonwealth head of state on the reverse
- Australian Kangaroos are among the leading gold and silver coins, with millions invested worldwide, and popular with collectors too – especially in the gold version
One investment coin, with several names: But that’s not the only special feature of the Australian Kangaroo, Australia’s own most popular bullion coin. There is a significant demand for both the gold coin and silver coin versions among collectors and investors. In comparison to these two, the platinum version of the ‘roo’, which has also been available for a number of years, has a much smaller circulation and is therefore of lesser importance. So this article will focus on those Australian Kangaroo coins, also termed the Gold Kangaroo and Silver Kangaroo respectively, which are of course made from the precious metals gold and silver.
Australian Kangaroo history begins with a nugget
The history of the Australian Kangaroo investment coin begins decades before a marsupial was actually depicted on it. In 1986, Australia’s Perth Mint brought the “Australian Nugget” onto the market as a proof-quality collector’s coin. Colloquially, this was often simply called the “Nugget”. One year later, it was then issued as an investment coin in numerous denominations. In 2008, it was finally renamed Australian Kangaroo, probably because this marsupial is so closely associated with the smallest continent – the kangaroo being one of Australia’s most famous national animals, found naturally on the mainland and on the offshore islands.
© Lovrencg - stock.adobe.com
By comparison, the history of the Silver Kangaroo is fairly brief. This coin first came onto the market in 2015, with a mintage limited to just 300,000 units. However, a high demand encouraged the Perth Mint to issue the silver coin in unlimited quantities over the following years.
Australian Kangaroo: Fineness and available denominations
The Gold Kangaroo has always had a very high fineness rating of 999.9/1000. What is particularly unusual is its large number of different denominations, some of which were only minted for a certain period of time. Their distinguishing features are as follows:
| Weight | Face value in AUD | Diameter in mm | Thickness in mm | Years of issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1/2 gram |
2 |
11.60 |
0.70 |
from 2010 |
|
1/20 ounce |
5 |
14.10 |
1.40 |
1990 to 2009 |
|
1/10 ounce |
15 |
16.10 |
1.30 |
from 1986 |
|
1/4 ounce |
25 |
20.60 |
2.00 |
from 1986 |
|
1/2 ounce |
50 |
25.10 |
2.20 |
from 1986 |
|
1 ounce |
100 |
32.10 |
2.65 |
from 1986 |
|
2 ounce |
500 or 200 |
40.40 |
3.35 |
1991 to 2009 |
|
10 ounce |
2500 or 1000 |
59.70 |
7.65 |
1991 to 2009 |
|
1 kilogram |
10.000 or 3000 |
74.50 |
15.80 |
1991 |
|
1 ton |
1,000,000 |
800 mm |
120 |
2012 |
Anyone seeking to expand their background knowledge of coins and bars should note that the Gold Kangaroo holds the record for both the smallest and the largest gold investment coin in the world. The smaller of these weighs just half a gram and is thus often described as the “Mini Roo”. Meanwhile the gold value of the colossal 1,000 kilogram coin is understandably well into the high double-digit millions.
The Silver Kangaroo likewise has a precious metal content of 99.99%. But apart from a few special editions minted for collectors, the coin is only available in a weight of one ounce with a diameter of 40.60 mm and a face value of one Australian dollar.
The Australian Kangaroo design
Although the Australian gold coin was given its current name as recently as 2008, it was only during the first four years that its front face was exclusively decorated with natural gold nuggets. As early as 1990, the Perth Mint began to mint alternating kangaroo motifs on the front face for marketing purposes. Thus the inscription THE AUSTRALIAN NUGGET remained on the back until 2007, to be replaced one year later with AUSTRALIAN KANGAROO, which became the new coin name. The motif side also carries information about the weight, gold content and year of issue, while the other side of the coin is decorated with an image of the head of the Commonwealth.
Because the silver version of the Australian Kangaroo has a much shorter history, there has always been a marsupial image on its obverse face. However, these silver kangaroo motifs do not change every year. Instead, an identical depiction of a jumping red kangaroo (as also featured on the 1990 gold version) is always used. The coin’s other details are the same as the gold version, once again including an image of the head of the Commonwealth.
Since 2022, the Silver Kangaroo and selected Gold Kangaroo variants – coins with a fine weight of one ounce and one kilogram – have introduced a special security feature: micro laser engraving. Up to 2023, the reverse of the Australian Kangaroo was decorated with a depiction of Elizabeth II, with her successor, Charles III, appearing on coins issued from 2024.
The market profile of the Australian Kangaroo investment coin
With millions of coins in circulation, there is a worldwide demand for the Australian Kangaroo among both collectors and investors. Investors find the coin’s very high fineness and the relatively low premium on its pure precious metal value very attractive. Meanwhile, collectors prefer the gold version because of its many changes and the very appealing design and kangaroo motifs. In German-speaking countries, both coins are likely to feature among the top five most sought-after investment coins in the silver- and gold coin categories. When buying coins, it’s always sensible to approach a reputable dealer such as Echtgeld AG. And to ensure your coin purchases are then stored safely, savvy buyers can always take advantage of the long-established business collaboration between the precious metal dealer Echtgeld and the storage specialist Swiss Gold Safe. At the customer’s request, this precious metal trading company will deliver the coins you buy direct to one of Swiss Gold Safe’s high-security warehouses.
