Australian Silver Koala Coin Is A Silver Keepsake From Down Under

There are some coin collectors who are interested in accumulating a collection of silver bullion coins with exotic animals as their icons, to add to their treasured possessions. These collectors would for sure find great value in the Australian Silver Koala issued by the Perth Mint of Western Australia.

This mintage is a follow-through of the highly successful introduction of the Australian Silver Kookaburra by the same mint in 1990 and the Australian Kangaroo in 1993 by the Royal Australian Mint. Having all three in coins should be a superb combination for a thematic animal-inspired silver bullion collection.

The Australian Silver Koala was first struck two years ago by the Pert Mint, which is famous for coins of excellent workmanship and innovative designs. The 1997 first year of mintage was an instant success as the koala whose image the coin bears is a well-loved creature the world over.

Numismatists of course will tell you that it would be erroneous to call this coin as the "Australian Silver Koala Bear," although there is a certain rhyme to this term. The koala is scientifically classified under the genus Phascolarctos, which is rooted from the Greek word "phaskolos," for pouch, and the misleading "arktos," for bear. The koala, however, is a marsupial, an arboreal or tree-dwelling animal found only in the tropical forests of Australia.

The jungle, nonetheless, is no place for the Australian Silver Koala, but would be more at home at some treasure chests. This collector's delight is a 1-oz coin made from 99.9% pure silver in a koala design that changes each year.

The latest edition has the image of a young koala clinging to a tree branch. The Perth Mint struck the 2008 mintage of the coin with a different design which features that of a mother koala perched on a tree with a baby Phascolarctos at her back.

This 2008 mint also has a gold coin edition in addition to the silver standard, firmly establishing that indeed there are lots of treasures to be found Down Under!