The Perth Mint offers countless bullion coin collections for investors and collectors, but few of those programs are as diverse and popular as the Lunar Series bullion coins. Launched in 1996 with the Lunar Series I program, the Perth Mint has twice restarted its lunar collections in the form of the Lunar Series II collection in 2008 and the more recent Lunar Series III collection that debuted in 2020. The third version of Lunar Series coins from the Perth Mint comes with the traditional silver and gold lineup, as well as the first-ever platinum bullion coin in its lunar collections. With 2021 on the horizon, the Perth Mint now offers the brand-new designs for the 2021 Year of the Ox in the Lunar Series III collection.
Australian Lunar Ox Silver Coins
Both the silver and gold coins in the Lunar Series III collection offer a great deal of variety to investors. While the gold series is balanced between fractional-ounce choices and larger weights, the Lunar Series III silver coins feature weights that are predominantly 1 oz silver and larger. On the reverse side of the 2021 Australian Lunar Ox Silver Coins is Ing Ing Jong’s latest design in Perth Mint Lunar Collections. Her design for the 2021 Lunar Ox features two oxen in the immediate foreground. Here, you will find an adult ox standing with its young calf beneath the branch of a cherry blossom tree. The background field rolls off toward a small farming village with its neatly plowed fields. The inscriptions on this face include the Chinese symbol for an ox with “Ox 2021” and the “P” mintmark from the Perth Mint included in the design field.
When you buy silver in the Lunar Series III program, each coin comes with .9999 pure silver content and face value in Australian dollars (AUD) assigned by the federal government of Australia. The available weights include 1/2 oz silver, 1 oz silver, 2 oz silver, 5 oz silver, 1 Kilo silver, and 10 Kilo silver. The 1 oz coin has a mintage of 300,000 coins at a maximum, while the 10 Kilo coin has a mintage of 100 silver coins that will be struck-to-order. The remaining weights are struck as needed by the mint with coining continuing up to the release of the 2022 Year of the Tiger as the third release in the series.
Australian Lunar Ox Gold Coins
The 2021 Australian Lunar Ox Gold Coins come with a distinctive design that is different than the silver bullion version. In keeping with the tradition of the gold series, the Perth Mint showcases two or more of a given animal on its silver coins and typically just one of that animal in the gold coin design. That tradition continues in the 2021 Year of the Ox release with a single ox shown on the reverse of the 2021 Australian Lunar Ox Gold Coins. This design shows a powerful bull ox with its head up and eyes alert. Its sharp horns and muscular frame on display as it stands amidst bamboo stalks. This face of the coin, like its silver counterpart, also has the Chinese symbol for ox, “Ox 2021,” and the “P” mintmark of the Perth Mint inscribed on this face of the coin.
When buying gold in the Lunar Series III program, you will find affordable fractional-ounce gold coins available and larger weights as well. Each one of these coins is available with .9999 pure gold content and face values issued in Australian dollars (AUD). The available choices include 1/20 oz, 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, and 1/2 oz gold, as well as 1 oz, 2 oz, and 10 oz gold. Only the 1 oz gold coin has a mintage cap that is set at 30,000. Just like the silver series, the other weights are struck to meet demand and will be available only through the release of the 2022 Year of the Tiger coins in late 2021.
Australian Lunar Ox Platinum Coins
For just the second time in Lunar Series history at the Perth Mint, a 1 oz platinum bullion coin is available to investors. The Australian Lunar Ox Platinum Coin shares the same design as the gold bullion coins with the powerful bull ox depicted on its reverse face. The inscriptions on this face are all the same as well. The 2021 Australian Lunar Ox 1 oz Platinum Coin has 1 Troy oz of .9995 pure platinum and a face value of $100 (AUD). The 1 oz coin is limited to just 5,000 coins in total for the 2021 release.
Queen Elizabeth II Effigy
On the obverse side of all gold, silver, and platinum coins in this collection, you will find an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II. The right-profile bust of Her Majesty found here is the sixth-generation design to feature on Australian coinage. It was designed for the Royal Mint of England in 2015 by Jody Clark and shows the Queen at the age of 89. The design was first used by the Perth Mint in 2018, with a wider rollout across all collections in 2019. The lone exception was the Lunar Series II collection which concluded its 12-year release with the previous effigy of the Queen to ensure continuity of design in that series. This bust of the Queen finally debuted with the Lunar Series III collection, making the 2021 Year of the Ox just the second lunar coin with the image.
Born in the Year of the Ox
The ox is a highly valued animal in Chinese culture and has played a significant role in agricultural societies for thousands of years. It is said to have positive characteristics and is a hardworking, honest animal. Those born under the sign of the ox are said to be hard workers, intelligent, and reliable.
Capture 2021 Lunar Ox Coins at Provident Metals
When you’re ready to purchase 2021 Australian Lunar Ox Coins, you can reach out to Provident Metals for assistance. You can call us on the phone at 800-313-3315, chat with us live online, or simply send us an email with your inquiries. You can also follow us on Facebook and check back each week with our blog posts for more insight on new releases and upcoming programs.
Leave a Reply