1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coin

Description

1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coin

The Perth Mint introduced the Platinum Koala Series in 1988. This groundbreaking collection was among the first from the Perth Mint to focus on Australia’s native species, with new designs debuting annually. The Platinum Koala was the first series to use this approach and would ultimately pave the way for other popular programs, such as the Silver Kookaburra and Silver Koala. Today, 1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coins are available.

Coin Highlights:

• Come with an individual acrylic capsule!
• 3rd issue of the 1 oz Platinum Koala!
• Declared mintage of 28,121 coins!
• Contains 1 troy oz of .9995 pure platinum.
• The face value of $100 (AUD) is fully backed by the Australian government.
• On the obverse of the coin is Queen Elizabeth II.
• The reverse side features a koala on a tree branch with its joey on its back.

Koalas have inhabited Australia’s eucalyptus forests for approximately 20 million years, evolving from larger, ground-dwelling ancestors into the specialized arboreal marsupials we know today. European settlers first encountered koalas in 1798, initially mistaking them for a type of bear, which led to the persistent but incorrect name “koala bear.”

All 1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coins are available in individual acrylic capsules. The 1990 release has one of the lowest mintages in the program’s history, with just 28,121 coins sold. As an early release in the program, the Platinum Koala Series was only available in 1990 with 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/20 oz options.

The obverse of the 1990 Australian Platinum Koalas features Queen Elizabeth II in right-profile relief. This image comes from the 1985 effigy by Raphael Maklouf, the third-generation portrait of the Queen used during her reign. It shows Her Majesty wearing the George IV State Diadem, a timeless design used on countless Australian coins.

On the reverse of 1990 1 oz Platinum Koala Coins, you will find a depiction of a koala set in its natural surroundings. This year’s design shows a koala climbing along a tree branch with its young joey on its back. The early 20th century saw devastating population declines due to extensive hunting for their fur, with millions killed for export to Europe and America before protective legislation was enacted in the 1930s.