Perth Mint is one of the oldest mints in the world. It started operating in 1899 as part of the British Royal mint. This mint is one of five mints that produced the British gold Sovereign, the world’s most widely recognized coin. The mint produced over 106 million British sovereigns. Perth mint has gone on to become the finest mint producing high quality coins that are held in high regard by numismatics around the world. The Perth mint has always been able to produce unique coins that capture the imagination of collectors and anyone who loves fine things. The mint has been operating as a refinery since the end of the gold standard. The chances that the gold you sell to a bullion dealer come from the Perth Mint, most gold buyers end up selling gold to the mint to be refined. In 1957, the mint struck .999999 pure gold bullion that has become its benchmark for purity ever since. They have held on to the commitment to produce the finest gold bullion in Australia.
By the beginning of the new millennium, the Perth Mint had refined more than 3.2% of the entire gold ever mined. Over the years the mint has created some extraordinary gold coins. For instance, they minted a .99999 gold coin weighing an impressive 2,231 pounds in 2011. The coin features the Australian Red Kangaroo on one side and Queen Elizabeth II.
In 2018, the mint unveiled its most valuable and expensive collector coin – the Discovery Gold coin. This coin is made of 99.99% pure gold, has a hole like the holey dollar. The coins is encrusted with 4 pink Argyl diamonds valued at $1.7 million. The entire coin itself is worth a cool $2.5 million.
The design is meant to convey the destiny and the pursuit of riches that brought many people to Australia to prospect for gold. It features a sailing ship, a prospector with a pan to signify the journey people took across the sees to pan for gold. It also has baobab trees signifying Kimberley, the diamond rich area in South Africa. The combination of fine gold and rare diamonds are meant to represent opulence, elegance and exclusivity. Before the magnificent Discovery coin was created, seven casts were made before the final, more opulent version was created.
The unique beauty of the Discovery coin is testament of how good the designers and engravers at the mint are. They have redefined gold refining and turned it into an art form. The technical capabilities of Perth mint’s artisans is world class. They have produced some of the most iconic coins in the world. They produce some of the world’s finest coins from their innovative lunar series to their limited addition commemorative coins. If you live in Australia and you are into gold coins, chances are you own a coin that was struck at the mint. The mint does buy the coins it sells to the public but sometimes the buy back price might not be the same as what a bullion dealer would offer. Bullion dealers like Perth Mint coins because they are made from high quality gold. They would pay top dollar if they believe there is high profit to be made especially when coins are resold to collectors or auction houses.
