Perth Mint
Also: The Perth Mint, Gold Corporation
The Perth Mint is Australia\'s official government mint, founded in 1899, and is regarded as one of the world\'s most renowned refineries and minting facilities for investment gold, investment silver, and platinum.
The Perth Mint is the official mint and refinery of the Australian state of Western Australia. Opened in 1899 as the third and last branch of the British Royal Mint on Australian soil, it is today owned by the Government of Western Australia, which operates it through the state-owned Gold Corporation. With over 125 years of continuous operation, it ranks among the oldest still-active mints in the world and enjoys an outstanding international reputation for purity, precision, and security standards.
History and Significance
Originally the Perth Mint was established to process gold from Western Australia's goldfields district around Kalgoorlie. After British Crown control ended in 1970, the State of Western Australia took full ownership. Today the Perth Mint is not only a coin mint but also one of the world's most significant refineries: it refines, processes, and certifies precious metals from mining, recycling, and the international market.
Australia is one of the world's largest gold producers, and a substantial share of that production passes through the Perth Mint. This makes the institution a central hub in the global gold market.
Products and Minting Series
The Perth Mint issues a broad range of investment and collector coins as well as bars:
| Product | Metal | Fineness | Face Value (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Gold Kangaroo | Gold | 999.9 ‰ | 100 (1 oz) |
| Australian Silver Kangaroo | Silver | 999.9 ‰ | 1 |
| Australian Platinum Platypus | Platinum | 999.5 ‰ | 100 |
| Lunar Series (I, II, III) | Gold / Silver | 999.9 ‰ | various |
| Perth Mint Gold Bars (LBMA) | Gold | 999.9 ‰ | – |
The Lunar Series — coins featuring Chinese zodiac motifs — is highly popular with collectors worldwide and appears annually with changing animal designs. The silver coins of the Lunar Series are regarded as a popular entry-level investment purchase.
Certification and Authenticity Assurance
A key distinguishing feature of the Perth Mint is its Perth Mint Certificate Programme (PMCP): investors can have physical gold and silver certified in their name and stored in the mint's high-security vault without taking physical delivery. Each certificate attests to a precisely defined share of alloy-free, LBMA-accredited fine gold or fine silver.
For physically delivered coins and bars, the Perth Mint uses the following authenticity assurance measures:
- Assay certificate — each coin and bar carries an individual serial number and a test certificate.
- Heat-sealed blister packaging (assay card bar) — tamper-evident original packaging.
- Coin weight and diameter — can be cross-checked with the coin weight checker and the coin authenticity check.
- LBMA Good Delivery — the Perth Mint is accredited for both gold and silver on the LBMA Good Delivery List, the international quality standard for large-market bars.
Tax Notes (not legal or tax advice)
In Germany, Perth Mint gold coins such as the Australian Gold Kangaroo, as legal tender in Australia, qualify for the VAT exemption for investment gold. Requirements: fineness of at least 900/1000, minted after 1800, and legal tender status — all three are satisfied by the Kangaroo without issue. Silver coins such as the Australian Silver Kangaroo are subject to VAT; dealers frequently apply the margin scheme (VAT is levied only on the trade margin, not the full purchase price), which significantly reduces the effective tax amount. This is not tax or investment advice — please consult a tax adviser.
Key Takeaway
The Perth Mint combines government reliability, the highest fineness levels (999.9 ‰), and international LBMA accreditation. Its coins and bars are liquid and tradeable worldwide, making them equally suitable for investors and collectors.