Australian Kangaroo - 40 Years in the Spotlight Under the Australian Sun

24. 03. 2026

Australia is home to a wealth of unique animals and plants found nowhere else in the world. It is therefore no surprise that this uniqueness is reflected in the symbols that represent the Land Down Under. These symbols also feature prominently on investment coins and bullion bars.

When the Australian mint Perth Mint made a breakthrough in the late 1980s with its gold bullion coin designed for the modern market, it was searching for a motif that would become the new face of the series and continue the success of previous issues. The choice fell on the most famous inhabitant of the Australian continent—the kangaroo. For several decades now, this unmistakable marsupial has successfully led an entire fleet of investment products, traveling from Australia to the rest of the world.

🪃 From the Gold Nugget to the Kangaroo

In 1986, the Perth Mint introduced its first official gold bullion coin, the Australian Gold Nugget. The coin’s design drew inspiration from the discovery of legendary gold nuggets, which became a sensation during Australia’s gold rush.

A groundbreaking change in 1990 saw the gold nugget motifs replaced by an image of a kangaroo, a universally recognizable symbol of Australia. Although the coin had often been referred to as the “Kangaroo” since the beginning of the kangaroo era, the official name of the series, Australian Kangaroo, did not appear on the coin’s edge until 2008. With the design update in 2022, the simpler designation Kangaroo became established.

💎 Designs of Gold and Silver Coins

Kangaroo gold coins are investment coins whose design changes every year, attracting the attention of not only investors but also numismatic collectors.

In contrast, the design of silver coins remains unchanged and has become an unmistakable numismatic icon. Stuart Devlin’s timeless design depicts a red kangaroo (Red Kangaroo) in the center of the radial rays of a stylized Australian sun.

🎉 40 Years of the Kangaroo Legend

This year, the Kangaroo gold coin series celebrates its significant 40th anniversary, making it one of the longest-running investment coins in the world and tying for third place with the American Eagle in terms of chronological history. Nevertheless, it is clear that the Australian Nugget/Kangaroo holds the distinction of being the first modern bullion coin with collector’s appeal—while other mints stuck to a single design, the Perth Mint offered more than just an investment in gold. A new design for the gold coins each year provided an opportunity for collectors and celebrated numismatic art and the mastery of medalists.

Chronological overview of the first mintings of gold investment coins:

• 1967 Krugerrand (South Africa) – the first modern gold investment coin
• 1979 Maple Leaf (Canada) – fineness 999.9/1000 Au
• 1986 Australian Nugget / Kangaroo (Australia) – gold nugget, later kangaroo
• 1986 American Eagle (USA) – a combination of gold and precise design
• 1987 Britannia (United Kingdom) – gold, later also silver
• 1989 Wiener Philharmoniker (Austria) – first issue of the popular gold coin

🦘 Symbol of Australia

The Sydney Opera House and the kangaroo are among the first images that often come to mind when Australia is mentioned. The kangaroo is an endemic species that evokes sympathy due to its resilience and the way it raises its young in the mother’s pouch. Together with the emu, it holds a place of honor as a heraldic animal on the Australian coat of arms.

It appears in many official and unofficial contexts, such as on government stamps, institutional logos, certification marks, and tourism marketing materials.

⚒️ The refining process for Perth Mint products

The Perth Mint is not just a mint, but also a world-class precious metals refinery that oversees the entire process—from raw metal to the finished investment product. It refines gold and silver sourced from both mining and recycling, purifying them to a high degree of purity. It processes approximately 700 tons of gold and 335 tons of silver annually.

Most of the mined gold comes from Western Australia, one of the world’s richest gold regions, home to dozens of mines, including the world-famous Super Pit near Kalgoorlie, Boddington, and Sunrise Dam.

In addition to its flagship Kangaroo series, the Perth Mint mints many other investment coins, gold bullion bars, and silver bullion bars. It has also gained a following for its diverse range of numismatic products.

📌 Facts and Trivia:

• The reverse side of the 1986 Australian Nugget gold coin features the largest natural gold nugget, “Welcome Stranger,” which was discovered in Victoria in 1869.
• The English word “kangaroo” first came into use during Captain James Cook’s first voyage to Australia in 1770. Naturalist Joseph Banks, while observing the hopping creature, noted the term “kangaroo,” which was derived from the indigenous word “gangurru” in the Guugu Yimithirr language.
• For some issues, the mint adds a secret mark to the design of the silver Kangaroo investment coins, the position of which varies. The micro-laser-engraved “A,” symbolizing the first letter of the word Australia, can only be seen under a microscope.
• The motif of the silver version of the Australian Kangaroo coins was also used on the world’s largest gold coin, weighing over 1 ton of the highest-purity gold.
• The Bohemians Praha 1905 soccer club also boasts a kangaroo emblem. The club adopted this symbol after an Australian tour with Sydney FC in 1927. At that time, the club received a pair of kangaroos as a gift, which were handed over to the care of the Prague Zoo upon their return.

📌 Why does the Australian Kangaroo series deserve your attention?

• The Perth Mint’s flagship investment product
• It rightfully ranks among the elite of modern investment coins
• Exceptional minting quality that surpasses the standards of other mints
• An appealing selection of designs and their diverse execution in each issue
• Coins available in 1/10 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz, and 1 oz gold, and 1 oz silver denominations
• Excellent liquidity and significant collector interest in older issues