The Kangaroo That Never Repeats
The Perth Mint’s Australian Kangaroo is a rare sovereign bullion coin where the reverse design changes every single year, so no two years look alike. What never changes is the metal underneath it: one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, backed by the Australian government, on every coin regardless of the year. The design changes every year, the gold content never does.
From Gold Nugget to Kangaroo
The Perth Mint launched this coin in 1986 as the Gold Nugget, its reverse stamped with a different Australian gold nugget find each issue. In 1989 the Mint retired the nugget and replaced it with a leaping kangaroo, designed by master goldsmith Stuart Devlin, and the Australian Kangaroo Coin Series was born. The one-ounce coin has carried an all-new kangaroo scene every year starting with that 1989 redesign, while the 1 kilo coin alone still runs Devlin’s original artwork. The kangaroo replaced the nugget in 1989, and the reverse has kept moving since.
You Don’t Choose the Year
This listing ships whatever year the Perth Mint has most available when your order goes out, not a year you pick. Your coin’s reverse will carry one of the annual kangaroo scenes rather than the exact image pictured, and its obverse will carry whichever monarch was reigning when the coin was struck. The Perth Mint moved to the King Charles III effigy starting with coins dated 2024; anything dated 2023 or earlier carries Queen Elizabeth II. Every year meets the same purity and weight standard regardless of who’s on the front. Year and effigy are random, and requests for one over the other aren’t accepted.
Government-Backed, Down to the Gram
What never moves is the metal and the backing behind it. Every coin weighs one troy ounce and assays at .9999 fine gold, carries a $100 Australian face value as legal tender, and clears the IRS’s fineness floor for a precious metals IRA by a wide margin. Weight and purity are assayed, whichever year or effigy arrives at your door.
1 oz Gold Kangaroo Specifications
Every coin holds one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold, with a $100 Australian face value struck into the design. Purity and weight are fixed, whichever year or effigy ships. Full current specs, including diameter and edge, are on the Specifications tab above.
1 oz Gold Kangaroo FAQ
Will I get a Queen Elizabeth II or King Charles III coin?
Either. The Perth Mint introduced the King Charles III effigy on coins dated 2024 and later, and used Queen Elizabeth II’s before that. This listing ships whichever year we have on hand, and you cannot request one over the other.
Is the 1 oz Gold Kangaroo IRA eligible?
Yes. At .9999 fine, it clears the IRS’s .995 minimum for a precious metals IRA by a wide margin. Eligibility isn’t a close call, since the purity margin is that wide.
Does this coin have a face value?
Yes, every 1 oz Gold Kangaroo carries a $100 Australian face value backed by the Australian government as legal tender, though the gold inside is worth far more than that number stamped on the coin. Face value is $100, not what the coin is worth.
What condition will my coin arrive in?
Brilliant Uncirculated, as struck by the Mint. Because .9999 gold is soft, coins may show light handling marks from minting and shipping, which is normal for the series and does not affect the gold content. Condition is Brilliant Uncirculated, not a third-party grade.
Why does the kangaroo design change every year?
The Perth Mint has issued a new kangaroo scene on the reverse every year starting with the 1989 redesign, when the kangaroo replaced the original Gold Nugget. The purity and weight stay fixed on every version. Only the artwork changes, never the gold content.
Curious how the Kangaroo compares to other sovereign gold coins? Browse our full selection.
Ready to add a design that changes every year to your stack? Add the 1 oz Australia Gold Kangaroo Coin to your cart.