The Perth Mint launched the Platinum Koala Series in 1988, highlighting Australia’s native wildlife with fresh artwork each year. This approach later inspired other popular programs like the Silver Kookaburra and Silver Koala. Today, 1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coins are available at BullionMax.

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 lived in Australia’s eucalyptus forests for around 20 million years. They descended from larger, ground-dwelling ancestors and adapted to a life in the trees. When Europeans first described the animal in 1798, many thought it was a bear, which led to the lasting but incorrect nickname “koala bear.”

All 1990 1 oz Australian Platinum Koala Coins arrive in individual acrylic capsules. The 1990 mintage is among the lower totals in the series, with just 28,121 coins sold. In this early year of the program, the Platinum Koala was offered in several sizes: 1 oz, 1/2 oz, 1/4 oz, 1/10 oz, and 1/20 oz.

The obverse of the 1990 Australian Platinum Koala features Queen Elizabeth II in right-profile relief. This portrait is the third official effigy by Raphael Maklouf, introduced in 1985. It shows the Queen wearing the George IV State Diadem, a design that appears on many Australian coins from this era.

On the reverse of the 1990 1 oz Platinum Koala, you’ll see a koala in its natural setting. The artwork shows the animal moving along a tree branch with a young joey riding on its back. In the early 20th century, koala populations fell sharply due to hunting for the fur trade; protective laws introduced in the 1930s helped the species recover in many regions.

Please feel free to contact BullionMax with any questions about platinum coins. You can call us at 800-729-3202, connect with us online through our web chat, and via our email address.