Perth Mint — Australian bullion mint: Kangaroo, Lunar, bars

The Perth Mint — a mint born of the gold rush

The Perth Mint was established in 1899 as a branch of the British Royal Mint, to refine gold from the Western Australian gold rush and strike sovereigns for the Empire. After gaining independence it passed into the ownership of the Government of Western Australia — and to this day it is the only mint in the world whose obligations are guaranteed by statute by a state government. The works in Perth have operated without interruption in the same historic building for more than 125 years.

Beware of a common confusion: the Perth Mint is a different institution from the Royal Australian Mint in Canberra — the latter strikes Australian circulating coinage, while the Perth Mint specialises in bullion. Both are state owned, and their coins are legal tender in Australia.

Kangaroo and Lunar — series with a changing reverse

The mint's flagship series is the Australian Kangaroo (since 1986, initially as the Gold Nugget) — gold at 999.9 fineness with a reverse changed every year, a feature it shares among the major bullion series only with the Chinese Panda. Since 2018 the coins carry a micrographic security feature, and since 2019 a hologram. The second icon is the Lunar series (currently Lunar III), devoted to the signs of the Chinese zodiac — our range includes the Year of the Horse 2026. Silver is represented above all by the Kookaburra, struck since 1990.

Perth Mint bars — minted and cast

The Perth Mint produces gold bars at 999.9 fineness in formats from 5 g through 10 g, 20 g and 50 g to 100 g. A distinctive item is the 1 oz cast bar — the smallest cast bar in our range; every smaller format on the market is minted only. The cast surface, with traces of solidification, is a feature of the technique, not a flaw.

The Perth Mint range at GoldInvest24

You will find Perth Mint products in the Australian Kangaroo gold coins and Australian Kangaroo silver coins categories, as well as among gold bars and gold coins. We also run a gold and silver buy-back, so what you buy from us has somewhere to return to.

FAQ — the Perth Mint

What is the Perth Mint?

The state mint of Western Australia, operating in Perth since 1899 and owned entirely by the state government, which guarantees the fineness and weight of its products by statute. It holds LBMA Good Delivery accreditation and specialises in bullion — gold and silver coins and bars.

How does the Perth Mint differ from the Royal Australian Mint?

The Perth Mint (Western Australia) specialises in bullion — it strikes the Kangaroo, Lunar and Kookaburra series. The Royal Australian Mint (Canberra) is the federal government's national mint, responsible for Australian circulating coinage. Both are state owned and their coins are legal tender.

Which series does the Perth Mint strike?

The most important are the Australian Kangaroo (gold 999.9, reverse changed every year, since 1986), Lunar — currently Lunar III (signs of the Chinese zodiac) and the silver Kookaburra (since 1990), plus minted and cast bars.

What is special about the Perth Mint 1 oz cast bar?

It is the smallest cast bar in our range — every smaller format on the market is minted only. It is made by pouring molten gold into a mould; the raw surface with traces of solidification is a feature of the technique. It contains 31.1035 g of gold at 999.9 fineness.

Where can I buy Perth Mint products?

From a specialist precious metals dealer. At GoldInvest24 you will find Kangaroos, Lunar coins, Kookaburras and Perth Mint bars with insured shipping and discreet packaging. Current prices are linked to the live metal price.