When Edward Hargraves discovered the first bit of gold near Bathurst, Australia, it is extremely unlikely that he thought about how Australian gold would one day be struck into .9999 Fine Silver Australia Gold Kangaroo coins. In fact, he was probably just thinking of how much he could sell it for, if truth be told.
The establishment of the Perth Mint was still decades in the future at that time. Even when the Mint was started in 1899, its first coins bore no resemblance to the present-day 1 oz. Gold Kangaroo. There was very little money available in Australia for buying gold coins, so the diggers took their nuggets to the Perth Mint to be struck into gold coins.
In 1987, the Perth Mint launched a gold coin series paying tribute to the gold miners who started it all. The obverse of that coin was a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, and that image remains on the 2016 Australia 1 oz. Gold Kangaroo today. However, the reverse of that original Gold Nugget Coin featured none other than a gold nugget.
In 1990, the gold nugget was replaced with an image of a red kangaroo. Every year since then, the coin has featured a different image, but all have been focused on images of Australian wildlife. The 2016 Gold Kangaroo bullion coin displayed an artist's rendition of a kangaroo resting and looking behind him toward another kangaroo that is only shown in silhouette. The design on the 2016 Australian gold coin is as intriguing as the prospect of owning physical gold minted in another country.
If you would like to know more about the 2016 Australia 1 oz. Gold Kangaroo BU, please feel free to contact GMRgold's Precious Metals Investment Experts at 1 (877) 795-9585. GMRgold is an honorable company that seeks to fulfill the needs of both investors and collectors around the world.