2012 Australian Kookaburra Silver Coins Announced

The Perth Mint of Australia has announced plans for the pending release of the highly anticipated 2012 Australian Kookaburra Silver Coins. Those looking to add the unique bullion Kookaburra silver coins to either their portfolios or their collections can after September 1, 2011 when the Mint releases them to the public.

Three different 2012 Kookaburra coins will be struck by The Perth Mint, and each from 99.9% pure silver. There will be one ounce, ten ounce and one kilo sizes. All three will feature new reverse artistry of the laughing kookaburra which is seen as one of the iconic creatures of Australia.

This 2012 reverse design shows the Kookaburra bird perched on the branch of a Eucalyptus tree amongst its leaves. The bird is shown looking over its left wing with its beak slightly open. The new design is surrounded by the inscriptions of "Australian Kookaburra," "2012," "999 Silver" and the size of the strike which is "1 Kilo," "10oz" or "1oz."

Bullion Kookaburra silver coins were first issued by the Mint in 1990. They have since proven to be one of the most popular bullion coins in the world. That popularity is heightened by the fact that the reverse design is changed annually. Collectors are also drawn to the strike by a limited mintage put in place on the one ounce coin.

In past years, that mintage was capped at only 300,000 strikes. However, last year’s release saw the mintage increased to 500,000, owing to the recent jump in demand for bullion products. Once again, The Perth Mint of Australia has chosen to use a maximum mintage of 500,000 for the one ounce Kookaburra. No mintage limit is in place for the 10 ounce or 1 kilo silver coins.

Each bullion issue is considered legal tender of Australia with face values of AUS $30, $10 and $1. The coins will ship in protective acrylic capsules and are guaranteed for weight and purity by the government of Australia.

2012 Australian Kookaburra Silver Coin Specifications

Size	1 Kilo	10 oz	1 oz
Silver Content	32.151 Troy oz	10 Troy oz	1 Troy oz
Face Value	$30 AUS	$10 AUS	$1 AUS
Minimum Gross Weight	1,001.002 gms	311.347 gms	31.135 gms
Maximum Diameter	100.60 mm	75.60 mm	40.60 mm
Maximum Thickness	14.60 mm	8.70 mm	4.00 mm

 

About the Perth Mint

The Perth Mint of Australia (http://www.perthmint.com.au/)  is owned by the State Government of Western Australia. It currently serves as the official issuer of the Australian Federal Government’s Gold and Silver Bullion Coin Program along with producing some of the world’s most unique collectible coins.

The Perth was originally opened in 1899 by the Royal Mint of England to process gold from the nearby Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie deposits. Ownership of the facility was transferred to the Western Australia state government in 1970.