Silver Investment Coin Year of the Rooster Year of the Rooster Lunar 1 Oz 2005

Investment Coins Lunar Series I. (1999 - 2010)

The Australian Lunar Series of gold investment coins and silver investment coins, issued by the Perth Mint, is dedicated to the 12-year cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar. These investment coins have become some of the world's most popular collectible coins minted in recent times. The series was originally introduced in gold, but in 1999 (the Year of the Rabbit) the Mint began minting them in silver.

As these are investment coins, they can of course be acquired at the price of silver on world markets, but excluding those investment coins that are minted in limited editions. In addition to their huge popularity and worldwide liquidity, this is one of the reasons why these coins are so sought after and why many investors become avid collectors.

The Lunar Series gold coins are minted in 0.9999 (24-karat) purity of the purest gold and the silver coins are minted in 0.999 fine silver. Each coin of the Lunar Series is housed individually in a protective acrylic capsule.

The main reason for the popularity of these coins is their exceptional quality. Many coin collectors claim that the Perth Mint is unmatched when it comes to producing commemorative coins.

When the Silver Lunar Series II was released in 2008 (Year of the Mouse), this series inevitably clashed with the Silver Lunar Series I released since 1999 (Year of the Rabbit). The Perth Mint decided to merge the release of the Lunar Series gold coins with the silver coins, and so had to start with the Year of the Mouse, while continuing the 12-year cycle of Series One. The result is a very interesting collector's rarity, as one can own the years 2008-2010 twice: once minted in 2007 for Lunar Series I and once minted from 2008 for Lunar Series II.

Face:

The Lunar Series investment coins are so beautifully struck that some investors mistakenly think these coins are struck in proof quality. The raised designs on the coin are meticulously polished, and the contrast is complemented by the matte to satin finish all around. This effect can best be seen on the obverse of the coin, which always shows a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II.

Reverse:

The reverse of the coin is dedicated to the animal motifs associated with each year of the lunar calendar. The motifs in the various animal productions are also used on the silver coins and may even differ from the gold ones.

Silver coins weighing 1 Kg, 500 g, 10-ounce, 5-ounce and 2-ounce are unlimited, but only 300,000 pieces - 1-ounce and 500,000 pieces - 1/2 ounce. For gold coins, the 1 Kg, 10-ounce, and 2-ounce coins are minted unlimited, but the 1-ounce coins are limited to 30,000, 1/2 ounce to 40,000, 1/4 ounce to 60,000, 1/10 ounce to 80,000, and 1/20 ounce to 100,000.

The Lunar Series of investment coins offers high appreciation in future years which can be seen currently on the Lunar Series I and some of the current Lunar Series II coins. Normally, in the current year of mintage, the price of limited edition coins does not significantly exceed the price of regular investment coins, but after a while when the coin is on sale and the interest of investors and collectors grows, the price starts to increase. This is why it often happens that these coins are literally sold out in a flash. Of course, the sold out coins are then sold on the market at a big premium. This makes their price rise much faster than other investment coins.
Lunar Series Investment Coins are a well-known and respected investment worldwide by both investors and collectors because of their huge demand and liquidity.

Sales of the first Lunar Series silver investment coins issued between 1999-2010 can be found here-on the Perth Mint website.