Australian Silver Koala facts for kids
| Australia | |
| Value | 1 Dollar (face value) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 31.1 g (1.0 troy oz) |
| Diameter | 40.6 mm (1.52 in) |
| Thickness | 4.0 mm (0.157 in) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Composition | 99.99% Ag |
| Years of minting | 2007-present |
| Obverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Queen Elizabeth II |
| Designer | Jody Clark |
| Design date | 2015 |
| Reverse | |
 |
|
| Design | Koala hanging onto a tree branch |
| Design date | 2019 |
The Silver Koala Bear is a special silver coin from Australia. It's made by the Perth Mint. These coins are famous because they always show a koala on one side. The koala design changes every year! Koalas are cute marsupials that live only in Australia.
Contents
What Makes Silver Koala Coins Special?
The Silver Koala coin has two main sides. The front side, called the obverse, always shows Queen Elizabeth II. The back side, known as the reverse, features a new koala design each year. This changing design makes these coins very popular with collectors.
The Queen's Portrait
The picture of Queen Elizabeth II on the coin changes sometimes. During her long reign, six different portraits were made. However, only two of these portraits were used on the Silver Koala coins.
Why Collectors Love Them
Silver Koala coins are more valuable to collectors than some other silver coins. This is because their design changes every year. Also, the mint makes a limited number of them. These coins come in up to five different sizes each year.
How Big are These Coins?
Silver Koala coins come in different weights and sizes. This table shows some of their measurements:
| Coin Sizes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight (troy oz) |
Weight (grams) |
Face Value | Diameter (mm) |
Thickness† (mm) |
| 1002.50 | AU$30 | 100.60 | 14.60 | |
| 10 | 312.35 | AU$10 | 75.60 | 8.70 |
| 1 | 31.14 | AU$1 | 40.60 | 4.00 |
| 1⁄2 | 15.6 | 50 cents | 36.60 | 2.30 |
| 1⁄10 | 3.135 | 10 cents | 20.60 | 2.00 |
† This is the maximum thickness. The thickness can be slightly different based on the koala design for that year.
The Story of the Silver Koala
The first Silver Koala coin was made in 2007. It was only available in the one-ounce size. Other sizes started to be made in 2008. The very small 1⁄10 oz coin began production in 2011.
Special Editions
From 2008 to 2010, the Perth Mint also made special "proof" coins. These were one-ounce coins with gilded (gold-plated) koalas. Today, you can find these coins in different forms. Some are standard coins, while others are special collector's items.
The coins were made of .999 fine silver until 2018. After that, their purity increased to .9999 silver. This means they are even purer silver!
Production Limits
The Perth Mint used to make as many one-ounce coins as people wanted. But since 2018, they have limited the number. Now, only 300,000 one-ounce coins are made each year.
Sometimes, you can find very special editions. These might have a privy mark (a tiny symbol), be colored, or even be gilded.
See also
- Australian Silver Kangaroo (bullion)
- Australian Silver Kookaburra
- Bullion
- Bullion coin
- Inflation hedge
- Platinum Koala
- Silver as an investment
