Gold Bullion Coins: Australian Kangaroos Gold Coins
In 1987, Australia's Perth Mint introduced a 1-oz gold bullion coin, the Australian Kangaroos Gold Coins with the image of the largest gold nugget ever found on the reverse, the 2,284-oz Welcome Stranger nugget, which was found in Western Australia in 1869. The new Australian Kangaroos Gold Coins was appropriately named the Australian Nugget. The obverse of the Australian Kangaroos Gold Coin carries an image of Queen Elizabeth II, as do most Australian gold coins.
Since 1990, however, the reverse has carried the image of a kangaroo, with a yearly design change. As a result, Nuggets became Kangaroo Nuggets. Unlike the Australia's Perth Mint Lunar Series gold coins, Kangaroo Nuggets have no production limits.
Nuggets are .9999 fine (24 karat) gold and come individually capsulated in protective plastic covers, which do an excellent job of keeping the coins from being scratched or damaged. By comparison, Canada's Gold Maple Leafs come ten to a tube and are notorious for being easily scratched or damaged. Investors who prefer pure gold (.9999 fine - 24 karat) should go with gold coins from The Perth Mint. The one-ounce gold Kangaroo from Australia is an ounce of .9999 pure gold, with a nominal face value of $100 Australian. Each coin comes in a hard plastic case, shipped from the Perth Mint shrink-wrapped 20 coins together. Diameter is 32.1 mm, with a thickness of 2.8 mm.
The half-ounce Gold Coin is .50 ounce of .9999 pure gold, with a face value of A$50. Each coin is individually packed in a round plastic capsule, and shrink-wrapped together in groups of 20 coins at the Perth Mint. Diameter is 25.1mm, thickness 2.4mm.
The quarter-ounce Gold Coinis .25 ounce of .9999 pure gold, with a face value of A$25. Each coin is shipped from the Perth Mint in a round plastic case, and shrink-wrapped 20 coins together. Diameter is 20.1 mm, thickness 2 mm.
The tenth-ounce Gold Coins is .1 ounce of .9999 pure gold, with a face value of A$15. Individually encapsulated, 20 coins are shrink-wrapped together for shipment from the Perth Mint. Diameter is 16.1mm, thickness is 1.5 mm.
The twentieth-ounce is .05 ounce of .9999 pure gold, with a face value of A$5. Individually encapsulated, 20 coins are shrink-wrapped together at the Perth Mint. Diameter is 14.1 mm, thickness is 1.4mm.
