Giant 2,300 ounce gold nugget found 150 years ago is featured on new Perth Mint bullion coins

Another new limited-run bullion coin from the Perth Mint and not an animal design this time. Some 150 years ago, a stunning gold nugget of around 72 kilos in weight, and containing almost 2,300 ounces of gold, was discovered in Victoria outside the town of Mollagul. The largest known alluvial gold nugget ever discovered, it no doubt made its finder, John Deason, a very happy man indeed.

While the nugget was unquestionably a thing of beauty in real life, it doesn’t make for a particularly interesting image on a bullion coin, The usual border holds almost all of the inscribed details on both faces, so the main reverse image is of a rock on a ‘starburst’ background of lines. Just the nuggets name and date sits in the background field. It’s a very appropriate subject for a precious metal coin, with plenty of history and certainly a change from the norm. Available in a 1oz gold and a 1oz silver format, the mintages are pretty tight at 7,500 and 30,000 respectively. Available now.

REVERSE: Portrays a representation of the Welcome Stranger nugget with the inscription ‘WELCOME STRANGER 1869’ and ‘AUSTRALIAN NUGGET’. The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark, the 2019 year-date, and the coin’s weight and fineness are also included

OBVERSE: The Jody Clark effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the monetary denomination are depicted.