The Royal Australian Mint has recently started accepting orders for their Lunar Series 2014 Year of the Horse Coins. The range includes three different designs found across multiple gold, silver, and base metal coins.
The first design features a central close-up profile portrait of a horse. This appears on three different coins:
- $1 aluminum bronze uncirculated coin with a diameter of 25 mm, weight of 9 grams, and unlimited mintage.
- $1 silver proof coin with a diameter of 25 mm, weight of 11.66 grams, and mintage of 10,000.
- $10 gold proof coin with a diameter of 17.53 mm, weight of 1/10 oz, and mintage of 2,500.
The next coins are from the Prestige Lunar Series and feature the “Kicking Horse” design, popular in Chinese art during the Ming Emperor Chénghuá period 1465-87. This appears on four different coins:
- $1 face value 1 oz silver proof-like coin with a diameter of 40 mm and mintage of 10,000.
- $10 face value 5 oz silver proof-like coin with a diameter of 65.10 mm and mintage of 5,000.
- $100 face value 1 oz gold proof-like coin with a diameter of 38.74 mm and mintage of 1,500.
The Royal Australian Mint also indicates that a $500 gold proof coin with the same design will be available on a made to order basis. These are not listed online, but customers are asked to contact the sales team by phone.
The final design is used for the largest sized coins in the Prestige Lunar Series and features the “Eight Horses” of Má Wáng, renowned for having carried the fifth ruler of the Zhou Dynasty ,King Mu 1023-957 BCE. Two different coins are offered featuring the design:
- $30 face value 1 kilogram silver proof-like coin with a diameter of 99.95 mm and mintage of 1,500
There is also a $3,000 face value gold coin offered on a made to order basis. Once again this coin is not listed online.
The coins which are listed online can be found within the Royal Australian Mint’s eShop or at many world coin dealers.
ibex66 says
Think I’m gonna get the $3000 face gold coin. Whats that half a million dollars?
Samuel says
my royal birth dragon coin is not shipped yet. anyone the same?
CaptainOverkill says
Nice coins, but I am not as impressed with these as I was Perth’s offerings this year. Perhaps some of the other world mints that do these will do better.
Rolling-Thunder says
@Samuel
Still waiting on RM royal birth silver coin too – order date was July 26
No charge to my credit card yet & still says “in progress” on RM site
Hope it eventually comes!
What day did you order – sell out was July 27 or 28 I believe.
Samuel says
R.T., i ordered on 7/26, no charge on CC etc yet.
dan says
Just a general question in regard to Australian and even Canadian coins? Is their much of a collector base in these countries? It seems that often low mintage coins ( exception of the recent lunar dragon coins ) seem to be available for long periods to time in addition to vendors having many of the coins available in quantity also. I do collect some from each and am just surprised they are so readily available.