The Australian one-ounce gold piece (abbreviated as 1 oz and designated with Au for "gold") is a bullion coin format. Uniquely, in Australia there are two mints authorised to strike legal tender: the Royal Australian Mint (which also makes the country's circulating coinage) and the Perth Mint which only makes collector and bullion coins, as well as other bullion products.
Both mints endeavour to create coins with attractive designs, and to introduce new designs and themes often, in order to raise the numismatic value of the coins over the value of previous metal used.
This one-ounce gold coin with a face value of $100 is part of the Perth Mint's Australian Emu bullion coin range which features a new reverse design every year.
Standing up to 1.9 metres tall, the emu is Australia’s largest bird and the second biggest in the world. While it cannot fly, its powerful legs can propel it across the continent’s dry plains at speeds up to 50 kilometres an hour. Emus’ primitive feathers, which resemble coarse hair, help them survive the extreme changes in temperature that can be experienced in the Australian outback. |