1 oz Lunar III Year of the Horse Gold Coin | 2026

1 oz Lunar III Year of the Horse 2026 — flagship of the third Perth Mint Lunar cycle in the classic gold ounce

The 1 oz Lunar III Year of the Horse 2026 gold coin is the flagship of the official Lunar III series by Perth Mint with 31.103 g of .9999 gold, a 32.1 mm diameter and a 100 Australian dollar face value as legal tender of the Commonwealth of Australia. The 2026 vintage marks the third year of the Lunar III series (after the Dragon 2024 and the Snake 2025) and the second Horse in Perth Mint Lunar history after the Lunar II Horse 2014. The 1 oz fractional is the most popular format of the cycle with a declared maximum mintage of approx. 30,000 pieces. The coin is VAT-exempt in the EU and carries Perth Mint LBMA Good Delivery accreditation.

Technical specification

Why this coin earns a place in your stack

• Lunar III Horse flagship: 1 oz is the most popular format of the Perth Mint Lunar cycle — a classic ounce fractional combining the optimum premium-to-mass ratio with an expressive Asian zodiac motif, the format most often chosen by dealers and collectors on the global market.
• Second Horse in Perth Mint Lunar history: Year of the Horse 2026 marks the return of the motif after the Lunar II Horse 2014 — for cyclical zodiac collectors an opportunity to complete a comparative Horse set from two different Perth Mint Lunar series in the identical 1 oz fractional.
• Limited mintage of approx. 30,000 pieces: the 1 oz Lunar III Horse has a declared maximum mintage of approx. 30,000 pieces — typical for 1 oz Perth Mint Lunar, ensuring a stable collector premium over spot relative to series without limits (Maple Leaf, Eagle, Krugerrand).
• Perth Mint LBMA accreditation: Perth Mint holds London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery accreditation since 1899 — the oldest active LBMA status among mints producing modern bullion coins, ensuring global market recognition and dealer-network acceptance.
• VAT-exempt in the EU: .9999 fineness clears the above-900 requirement for bullion coins with margin (Directive 2006/112/EC, Art. 344), and Australia's legal-tender status completes the criteria.

History of the Perth Mint Lunar series — from 1996 (Lunar I) to the 2026 vintage (Lunar III)

The Perth Mint Lunar series was launched in 1996 with the Year of the Mouse issue as a response to growing global demand for bullion coins featuring Chinese/Asian zodiac motifs. The Lunar I cycle covered 1996-2007 and the full 12-year zodiac calendar — the first Year of the Horse appeared in the Lunar I cycle in 2002 in the classic 1 oz fractional.

The Lunar II cycle covered 2008-2019 and brought the second edition of the full zodiac calendar with refreshed reverse art designs — the Year of the Horse 2014 is the second Horse vintage in Perth Mint Lunar history and is sought after on today's collector market. The 1 oz Lunar II Horse 2014 reached a maximum mintage of 30,000 pieces and remains the benchmark for the current Lunar III Horse 2026 vintage.

The Lunar III cycle covers 2024-2035 and is the currently running series — the Year of the Dragon 2024 launched the third cycle, the Year of the Snake 2025 was the second vintage, and the Year of the Horse 2026 is the third Lunar III vintage and the second Horse in the cyclical history of the Perth Mint Lunar series. Lunar III retains the Perth Mint art design and .9999 fineness of the previous Lunar II, while changing the monarch portrait on the obverse — from Elizabeth II to Charles III from the 2024 vintage.

Perth Mint was founded in 1899 as a branch of the British Royal Mint in Australia, in response to the gold-mining boom in Western Australia (Kalgoorlie, Coolgardie). The mint holds LBMA Good Delivery accreditation for gold and silver since 1899 — the oldest active LBMA status among mints producing modern bullion coins.

The horse symbol in the Chinese/Asian zodiac represents strength, dynamics, freedom and success in career and travel — the Horse is the seventh of twelve animals in the zodiac cycle, associated with the fire element and afternoon hours (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.). In Chinese tradition, people born in the Year of the Horse are considered energetic, independent and entrepreneurial (1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026).

Obverse — portrait of King Charles III

The obverse of the 1 oz Lunar III Horse 2026 features the portrait of King Charles III in the version developed by the Perth Mint design team for the Lunar III cycle from 2024 — the first appearance of the Charles III portrait on Perth Mint coins after his accession to the throne in 2022. The portrait preserves the heraldic tradition of Commonwealth coins with the monarch facing left, in line with the convention of changing direction with each successive monarch (Elizabeth II faced right).

Around the portrait are the inscriptions CHARLES III, AUSTRALIA and the face-value 100 DOLLARS, identifying the coin as legal tender of the Commonwealth of Australia worth 100 Australian dollars. The mass and fineness inscription 1 oz 9999 GOLD confirms the technical specification of the coin. The 32.1 mm obverse field allows for more portrait details than smaller fractionals.

The Charles III portrait on Perth Mint coins continues the unbroken tradition of Commonwealth bullion coins featuring the reigning monarch — for collectors this builds historical continuity with Elizabeth II portraits from 1953-2022. Lunar III 2024+ coins represent the first Perth Mint Lunar cycle entirely based on the Charles III portrait, providing a new collector reference point for numismatists.

Reverse — horse motif in the Lunar III 2026 cycle

The reverse of the 1 oz Lunar III Horse 2026 features a composition of a horse in full gallop with a wind-blown mane, designed by the Perth Mint art team under the direction of chief engraver Ing Ing Jong (Perth Mint chief engraver, designer of the Lunar series since the Lunar II cycle). The composition of a horse in motion references the symbolism of dynamics and freedom which the Horse carries in the Chinese zodiac — in contrast to the static horse portraits of the earlier Lunar I 2002 and Lunar II 2014 issues.

The reverse carries the inscription YEAR OF THE HORSE and the Chinese character 馬 (mǎ — horse) according to the convention of the Perth Mint Lunar series. The P inscription (Perth Mint mintmark) identifies the coin's origin and distinguishes it from any private issues of other mints.

The sculptural details of the horse — coat texture, muscle modelling, leg arrangement in the gallop and mane motion — are kept to the high Perth Mint production standard for the collector-bullion series. The 32.1 mm reverse field allows legible rendering of details under 5-10x magnification and gives more compositional freedom than the smaller 1/4 oz fractional — important for the Asian market with strong demand for zodiac motifs.

What to check when buying

Inspect the integrity of the original Perth Mint capsule — the 2.8 mm thickness and 32.1 mm diameter make the 1 oz Lunar Horse less susceptible to wear than smaller fractionals, but micro-scratches on the mirror field remain a risk when handled without protection. Mechanical damage does not affect net gold mass but lowers resale value — particularly important in the collector segment.

The premium on the 1 oz Lunar Horse 2026 is lower than on smaller fractionals (1/4 oz) and higher than on neutral 1 oz Maple Leaf or 1 oz Krugerrand — typically 5-9% in the European retail segment. The Lunar III collector premium reflects the limited mintage (~30,000 pcs) and demand from the Asian market — for purely bullion-oriented portfolios optimising per-gram gold cost, neutral 1 oz coins (Maple Leaf, Krugerrand) offer a lower premium.

CGT-free status does NOT apply to the Lunar III Horse in the United Kingdom — Capital Gains Tax exemption in the UK covers exclusively coins with British legal tender (Britannia, Sovereign, Gold Sovereign), and the Perth Mint Lunar despite its Australian legal-tender status does not qualify for this exemption. For UK portfolios with tax optimisation, 1 oz Britannia works better — Lunar Horse remains a collector choice.

IRA-eligible status does NOT apply to the Lunar III Horse in the USA — American Individual Retirement Accounts for precious metals admit exclusively American coins (American Gold Eagle, Gold Buffalo) or bullion from accredited refineries. The Perth Mint Lunar is not admitted to IRAs despite the Perth Mint LBMA accreditation.

Why GoldInvest24

• Manufacturers with LBMA accreditation: in the catalogue you will find coins and bars from mints accredited by the London Bullion Market Association — Perth Mint holds LBMA Good Delivery status since 1899, the oldest active status among mints producing modern bullion coins.
• Full Lunar III size range: the 1/4 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz and 10 oz versions of the Lunar III Horse 2026 are available in one shop — allowing the build of a portfolio diversified by unit value and collector mintage.
• Language versions PL / DE / EN: full technical descriptions and specifications in three languages for convenient handling of the Polish, German and international markets.
• Current precious-metals quotes: spot data for comparing offer prices with current market valuation — check current metals prices before purchase.
• Full metals categories in one shop: access to gold bullion coins, bars, silver, platinum and palladium — all from one customer account.

Comparison of 4 Lunar III Horse 2026 fractionals with 1 oz Vienna Philharmonic

See the full category of gold bullion coins available at GoldInvest24.

FAQ — common questions about the 1 oz Lunar III Horse 2026

What is the 1 oz Lunar III Year of the Horse 2026 and who strikes it?

The 1 oz Lunar III Year of the Horse 2026 is the flagship of the official Lunar III series by Perth Mint in Australia — a mint with LBMA Good Delivery accreditation since 1899. The classic ounce fractional has 31.103 g of .9999 gold, a 32.1 mm diameter and a 100 Australian dollar face value as legal tender of the Commonwealth of Australia. The 2026 vintage is the third year of the Lunar III cycle and the second Horse in Perth Mint Lunar history after the Lunar II Horse 2014.

What is the technical specification of the 1 oz Lunar Horse 2026?

Gold mass 31.103 g (1 oz), fineness 999.9/1000, diameter 32.1 mm, thickness approx. 2.8 mm, face value 100 AUD. The obverse features the portrait of King Charles III in the Perth Mint version for the Lunar III cycle, the reverse — a composition of a horse in gallop with the Chinese character 馬 (mǎ) and the inscription YEAR OF THE HORSE. The P mintmark identifies Perth Mint as the issuer. The typical mintage of the 1 oz Lunar Horse is approx. 30,000 pieces — the most popular format of the Perth Mint Lunar cycle.

How do the Perth Mint Lunar I, Lunar II and Lunar III series differ?

Lunar I covered 1996-2007 and the first complete 12-animal zodiac cycle (Year of the Horse 2002). Lunar II covered 2008-2019 and the second cycle with refreshed designs (Year of the Horse 2014, 1 oz mintage 30,000 pcs). Lunar III runs 2024-2035 and is the current series — Year of the Dragon 2024, Year of the Snake 2025, Year of the Horse 2026 as the third vintage with the Charles III portrait on the obverse instead of Elizabeth II.

How does the 1 oz Lunar Horse 2026 differ from the Lunar II Horse 2014 and the 1 oz Vienna Philharmonic?

The 1 oz Lunar III Horse 2026 has the Charles III portrait on the obverse and a new reverse design from the 2024+ cycle, while the Lunar II Horse 2014 has the Elizabeth II portrait and the classic 2008-2019 cycle design — both in the identical 1 oz fractional, allowing a comparative set. Versus the 1 oz Vienna Philharmonic — the Lunar Horse differs by limited mintage (~30,000 pcs vs unlimited Philharmonic), higher collector premium (5-9% vs 3-5%) and annual reverse-motif change.

For whom is the 1 oz Lunar Horse 2026 a practical choice?

For Asian and European collectors building a complete Lunar III vintage set in the classic ounce, for portfolios combining the collector function with bullion exposure as a position base, and for buyers acquiring the coin for those born in the Year of the Horse (1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026). The 5-9% collector premium is lower than on smaller Lunar Horse fractionals, but higher than on neutral 1 oz Maple Leaf, Krugerrand or Philharmonic — the Lunar Horse remains a combined collector+bullion choice.

What is the LBMA, VAT, CGT and IRA status of the Lunar Horse 2026?

LBMA Good Delivery — YES (Perth Mint holds the status since 1899). VAT in the EU — EXEMPT (.9999 fineness and Australia legal tender meet Directive 2006/112/EC, Art. 344). CGT-free in the United Kingdom — NO (CGT exemption in the UK covers exclusively coins with British legal tender such as Britannia or Sovereign, not Commonwealth coins from other countries). IRA-eligible in the USA — NO (the IRS admits exclusively American coins to retirement accounts).

How do I buy the 1 oz Lunar III Horse 2026 at GoldInvest24?

Place an order in our shop with access to the gold bullion coins category, the full range of Lunar III Horse 2026 fractionals (1/4 oz, 1 oz, 2 oz, 10 oz) and the offer of LBMA manufacturers. Check the current gold quotes to compare the premium against the current spot price. Technical descriptions and specifications are available in PL / DE / EN language versions.