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.
The Australian Swan is a limited mintage bullion coin series normally featuring elegant designs of Cygnus atratus, graceful inhabitants of the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. The 2023 design however portrays a white swan.
Although black swans are closely associated with Western Australia, the historic town of Northam on the Avon River (a tributary of the Swan River) boasts a bevy of white swans. Said to be the only place in Australia where they breed naturally in the wild, the majestic birds were introduced by settlers in 1896.
This coin is a high relief proof version of the bullion ounce, and has a smaller diameter and thicker flan. |