Gainesville Coins is pleased to present the 2012 1 oz Silver Kookaburra coin. The Perth Mint’s Silver Kookaburra bullion series is one of the most popular 1 oz silver bullion coins among both investors and collectors. The reasons for this are simple: limited mintage and annual changes to the Kookaburra design. For those that are unfamiliar, the Kookaburra is a member of the Kingfisher family of birds. The Kookaburra is known for its distinctive cry, which is jokingly described as being often heard but rarely seen. The Kookaburra cry is also often compared to a human laugh.
The Silver Kookaburra coin was first introduced by the Australian Perth Mint in 1990. The annual mintage of the 1 oz coin is set at 300,000, the same as the Perth Mint’s 1 oz silver Koala coin. The 1 oz Silver Kookaburra is struck from .999 pure silver.
In 1992, the Perth Mint expanded its offering by minting the Silver Kookaburra coin in 2 oz, 10 oz, and one kilogram sizes. Initially, these were produced as just proofs, but overtime these larger sizes became available as non proof coins as well. There are no production limits for the 10 oz and 1 kilo sized coins.
Coin Specifications
- Diamter: 40.6mm
- Width: 4mm
- Annual Mintage: 300,000
- Face Value: 1 Australian Dollar
- .999 fine silver
Rear/Reverse
The reverse design of the 2012 1 oz Silver Kookaburra is a detailed picture of a Kookaburra perched on a branch amid eucalyptus leaves. The 2012 Kookaburra design is notable in that it is generally larger than prior year renderings of the bird. The reverse also includes the inscriptions “AUSTRALIAN KOOKABURRA, 2012, 10 oz, 999 SILVER.”
Front/Obverse
The obverse design of the 2012 1 oz Silver Kookaburra has the image of Queen Elizabeth II by noted artist Ian Rank-Broadley. The obverse also includes the inscriptions “ELIZABETH II, AUSTRALIA, 1 DOLLAR.” 2012 is notable as it is the year of Queen Elizabeth’s diamond birthday, with a Diamond Jubilee celebration scheduled to commemorate the event.
Collector Notes
The Perth Mint has produced many variations of the standard 1 oz Silver Kookaburra Coin including proof versions, a variety of privy market versions, and gilded versions. Depending on these variations, and collector interest for a particular year, the value of any particular 1 oz Silver Kookaburra can be at a significant premium over the spot price of silver.
The 2012 Silver Kookaburra is IRA eligible
For more information on Precious Metal IRAs, please check out our IRA Page: Precious Metal IRA