Description
The Australian Platinum Koala coin series was introduced by the Perth Mint in 1988 following the June 18th, 1987 approval by the Australian government of the minting of platinum and silver coins. The American Platinum Eagle is one of the few other major platinum bullion coin programs still in production today alongside the Australian Platinum Koala.
On the reverse of all 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala coin you’ll find the image of a koala. These marsupials are a unique symbol of Australia not found outside the continent in the wild. The designs on this face change annually like other Perth Mint programs, and popular designers include artists and engravers James Brown, Raphael Maklouf, Miranda Cornell, and Darryl Bellotti.
The obverse of Australian Platinum Koala coins features one of two designs of Queen Elizabeth IIs portrait. Coins dated from 1988 to 1997 will feature the third-generation depiction of the Queen, created in 1984 by Raphael Maklouf. Those coins dated 1998-present feature the fourth-generation right-profile portrait of the Queen done by Ian Rank-Broadley in 1998.
