Different Types Of Australian Coins

Australia coins have been minted in a wide variety of types, sizes, materials, and designs. Even today, new designs and varieties are being introduced and they are in great demand both by investors and by collectors. In the old times, they were made of gold and used in business transactions. However, such coinage was stopped after the great depression of 1933 and their use for business was stopped. At present, they are used as bullion meant for investment in gold, by collectors or history enthusiasts. The nominal value of such pieces is of no consequence as the value of gold is considerably higher.

Basically, there are just two types of Australia coins, the ones that are made from gold and the others that are made from silver. Based on these metals as the basic material, a large variety has been designed from time to time. The gold varieties are considered to have good exchange value as they can be broken down into smaller pieces for the purpose of selling a portion without affecting the overall value in any way. Moreover, gold variety is preferred by investors over the silver variety as they have higher value and lesser weight, and are easily transportable.

Among the gold bullion Australia coins, the gold Nugget is among the most popular ones. The lunar series, both in silver and gold, are also very popular. The Gold Kangaroo is produced in many denominations and is made from 24-karat, 99.99% pure gold. This is legal tender and its design is changed every year. Nowadays, kangaroos feature on the back. Initially they depicted different Australian gold nuggets. The design of lunar gold series is also altered every twelve months based on the Chinese lunar calendar and features the animal symbol for that year. One of the five elements of the earth also features on these Australia coins along with the animal symbols. In view of the constantly changing designs featuring the elements and animal symbols, these are highly priced by the collectors, especially because each animal-element combination occurs only once every sixty years.

The gold varieties are released in the same denominations as the Gold nuggets and maintain the same weight as well. The gold used for them is also 99.99% pure. The lunar series are also made in silver. Some silver varieties are embedded with gemstones such as diamonds and these provide better designs and exquisite beauty. Amongst all the coins in the world, the Australian varieties, the American Eagles, and the UK Gold Sovereigns are one of the most famous and the most popular. Their values are determined mostly on the basis of the weight of gold in them. However, the rare ones and the limited edition ones command higher prices depending on their availability.

The Australian Silver Kangaroo was first minted in 1993 at the Royal Mint of Australia. This Australia dollar coin is worth much more than its face value of one dollar as the intrinsic value of this silver bullion is considerably higher. Its exquisite quality, intricate craftsmanship, and superb design have made it one of the most world famous Australia coins. Most collectors look forward to getting hold of this piece of art to add glamour to their collections.