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 premium bullion one-ounce gold coin is part of the Australian Swan series, which has been issued by the Perth Mint since 2017 in silver and gold formats.
Swans of the black feathered variety (Cygnus atratus) are graceful inhabitants of the southeast and southwest regions of Australia where they live and breed in estuaries, inlets and other wetland environments. Residents of the Swan River, which takes its European name from their presence, black swans figure in ancient Aboriginal lore and were quickly adopted by European settlers as the bird emblem of Western Australia. |