The Australian Platinum Platypus is part of a Perth Mint wildlife series that has showcased some of Australia’s most distinctive animals in platinum since 2018. The 2021 1/3 oz issue carries .9995 fine platinum — an accessible entry into government-backed platinum coinage — and features one of the continent’s most biologically unusual creatures rendered in careful relief. As Australian legal tender backed by the federal government, it carries both intrinsic metal value and official currency status.
Key Features:
- Purity and weight: 1/3 troy oz of .9995 fine platinum
- Metal: Platinum
- Obverse: Right-facing portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in crown; inscribed Elizabeth II, Australia, 1/3oz 9995 Pt, 2021, and 30 Dollars
- Reverse: Platypus swimming beneath aquatic plants, depicted from above in fluid motion; inscribed Australian Platypus, 2021, and Perth Mint P mintmark
- Face value: $30 AUD — Australian legal tender
The reverse centers on a platypus in motion, its streamlined body gliding through the water with webbed limbs extended. The animal is depicted from a slightly elevated angle, capturing the full length of its distinctive form — the flat, duck-like bill extended forward, the dense fur of the body rendered in fine texture, and the broad tail trailing behind. Above the platypus, broad-leafed aquatic plants rise toward the surface, their stems and leaf veins clearly defined. Radial lines encircle the outer design field, drawing focus inward to the central figure. Australian Platypus and 2021 arc along the rim, with the P mintmark of the Perth Mint positioned within the design.
The obverse carries the Jody Clark effigy of Queen Elizabeth II in right-facing profile, wearing the George IV State Diadem. The inscriptions confirm the weight, fineness, year, and face value of 30 Australian Dollars.
The platypus is one of the few egg-laying mammals on Earth and is native exclusively to Australia — a subject that suits Perth Mint’s long-standing commitment to showcasing the continent’s singular wildlife on precious metals coinage. Each coin is struck in brilliant uncirculated condition and arrives in a protective plastic flip.
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