The silver Kookaburra Coin series is released annually by the Perth Mint, located in Perth, Australia. The coin was first released in 1990, and 2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of the coin.
Design of the Silver Kookaburra Coin
Each year, the silver Kookaburra coin's design is updated to reflect a new image of a Kookaburra bird. However, many of the coin's features remain the same. The front of each coin features an image of Queen Elizabeth II with the word 'Australia' and the coin's face value located at the bottom.
The reverse of the coin features an image of a Kookaburra in the center. The outside of the coin always features information about the coin, including its year of minting, it purity, its weight, and the metal type.
Previous Designs Used on the Silver Kookaburra Coin
Numismatic Benefits to the Kookaburra Coin
The Silver Kookaburra series is more popular with numismatic silver investors than coins like the silver American Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf. This is partially due to the fact that the image of the Kookaburra on the coin is updated annually. Many silver investors like to collect these coins annually, so that they have all of the designs.
The silver Kookaburra coin is released by the Perth Mint in limited quantitites annually. Minting until 2010 was limited to 300,000 1 Ounce silver coins. In 2011 this amount was increased to 500,000. 2017 saw the Perth Mint release just over 400,000 of the 1 Oz Silver Kookaburra coin. The 1 Ounce silver Kookaburra coin is the most popular size coin. Additional sizes are available from the Perth Mint.
KOOKABURRA COIN FACE VALUES
| Coin Size | Face Value |
| 1 Ounce | $1 AUD |
| 2 Ounce | $2 AUD |
| 10 Ounce | $10 AUD |
| 1 Kilogram | $30 AUD |
The silver Kookaburra coin series was made from 999 fine silver bullion until 2019, when the coin's purity was increased to 9999 fine. This makes the current year silver Kookaburra coins some of the purest silver coins available on the market.
The Silver Kookaburra Coin and the Perth Mint
The silver Kookaburra coin was first released in 1990, four years after the Perth Mint released their first investment grade gold bullion coin, designed to compete with the South African Krugerrand and the Canadian Maple Leaf. The silver Kookaburra coin was an instant success, and inspired the Perth Mint to release the silver Koala coin, which followed the same pattern as the Kookaburra. The silver Koala, like the Kookaburra, is released in the same sizes, and has a design that is updated annually.
The Kookaburra coin has a legal tender face value that is backed by the government of Australia. Its legal tender value is far outweighed by the silver content value of the coin. However, many investors prefer to purchase silver coins with legal tender value. Some clients feel that it gives the coin more credibility than other silver investment options, such as silver bars. Some clients also benefit from tax exemption laws that apply to legal tender silver coins as opposed to silver rounds or bars.
Silver Kookaburra coins are available to clients of SuisseGold.com for VAT-exempt Swiss storage, or for delivery. Clients selecting to store their silver Kookaburra coins may select to sell their coins back at any time at favorable rates, or request delivery. Storage is offered free of charge for one year.
