The first release run of the new year sees the Perth Mint issue the usual batch of lunars that we’ll cover seperately, as well as an eclectic and understated mix of various types. There are no gold coins this month and at least three of the six are firmly aimed at the lightweight gift market, but what remains are interesting enough to the numismatic collector.

First up is the annual gilded version of one of the Perth Mints signature bullion coins, the Koala. These always seem to be popular. Secondly comes the first 2015 release in the long-running Opal series, this time depicting a Rough-scaled Python. This is the seventh release in the series and the first three have sold out, with a fourth almost gone.

The highlight this month is the second annual release in the five-coin series depicting Australian home propaganda posters from the First World War. The interesting design reproduces a recruitment poster aiming toget volunteers for the Australian Red Cross. We like these, and the nimbus-style latex display frame is a nice touch.

All the coins are available to order from the Perth Mint site now.

2015 OPAL SERIES: ROUGH-SCALED PYTHON

The Rough-Scaled Python is a dark brown reptile with pale brown blotches, a triangular head and a thin body. Their scales have ridges along the middle giving them a rough, sandpaper -like feel. This non-venomous python kills its prey by constriction.

DESIGN: The  coin’s  reverse  incorporates  an  inner  panel  design  of  a  Rough-Scaled  Python  detailed  in pure Australian opal. The outer panel of the coin depicts a collection of fern fronds. The design includes the inscription ROUGH  SCALED PYTHON, the 2015 year-date, and The Perth Mint’s traditional ‘P’ mintmark. Designed by Aleysha Howarth.

PACKAGING: The coin is presented in a  prestigious display case with a light, which turns on as you open the lid, to represent the moon shining down on the nocturnal creature. The coin is accompanied by a stunning illustrated shipper and a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. $115.00.

There is a single release yet to come featuring the Ghost Bat. Ther have six prior releases,two per year since 2012.

WORLD WAR ONE POSTERS: RED CROSS

Throughout the course of the First World War, recruitment campaigns ran throughout Australia encouraging women to join Red Cross or to volunteer their services at the home front. Posters were an integral part of these campaigns. Artists were commissioned to produce works that would inspire women to support Australian troops through fundraising efforts, quasi nursing duties, organising comfort packages to send to soldiers, and  volunteering to  work in the Red Cross’ Wounded and Missing Enquiry Bureau.

One of these was a recruitment poster for Australian Red Cross. David Henry Souter’s ‘Help’ poster was designed to inspire Australian nurses to join the Red Cross in support of the war effort, and remained in print until 1918. The  poster  featured  an  Australian  Red  Cross  woman  in  uniform  standing  with  her  arms outstretched, as if appealing for help, in front of a red cross. In the background was a medical ship, an ambulance, and a field hospital, each bearing the protective Red Cross emblem.

DESIGN: The coin’s reverse features a coloured representation of David Henry Souter’s Australian Red Cross ‘Help’ poster headed by the inscription AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS. The Perth Mint’s traditional ‘P’ mintmark, and the coin’s weight and fineness also appear in the design. Designed by Wade Robinson.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in a stylish latex case that displays the coin’s reverse and obverse. It is presented in a themed shipper, and is accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. $99.00.

The second release after last years ‘Enlistment’, there will be a new coin issued every year until the fifth and final one in 2018.

2015 GILDED KOALA

The koala is well-adapted to Australia’s dry conditions as they do not actually require water to drink. Receiving all the moisture they need from eucalyptus leaves, koalas spend most of their time in these trees for this reason, and because they are known to sleep among the shaded branches for up to 20 hours each day.

DESIGN: The coin’s reverse depicts an adult koala gilded in 24-carat gold, sitting in the fork of a eucalyptus tree amid a rural landscape. The design includes the inscription AUSTRALIAN KOALA, The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark, and the 2015 year-date. Designed by Ing Ing Jong.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in a display case accompanied by a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. Each case comes in a coloured, illustrated box-shipper. $94.00.

2015 ALWAYS TOGETHER

Cats make wonderfully loyal and loving companions, both for their owners and for one another. As cats are family-orientated creatures, their best friends are usually other members of their litter, with whom they share a special bond.

DESIGN: The coin’s reverse depicts a coloured representation of a grey kitten and a ginger coloured kitten, sitting side by side in a field of flowers with a butterfly flying through the air. The design also includes the inscription ‘Always Together’ and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark. Designed by Aleysha Howarth.

PACKAGING: Displayed in a classic presentation case, the coin is delivered in a delightful, coloured shipper with a numbered Certificate of Authenticity. $63.50.

2015 SNUGGLEPOT & CUDDLEPIE

Originally published in 1918, May Gibbs’ Tales of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie™ went on to become a much-loved Australian children’s classic. Her creation of a fantasy world within the Australian bush, using creatures and images that were well-recognised and found right across the country, has fascinated generations of Australians for decades.

DESIGN: The coin’s reverse depicts a colour image of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie™ sitting on a tree branch, surrounded by gumnuts and gum leaves, with Little Ragged Blossom between them. The design includes the inscription MAY GIBBS SNUGGLEPOT & CUDDLEPIE™, and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark. Designed by Ing Ing Jong.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in an elaborate themed gift card, with room to write the babies details, a family tree and a place to house a photograph. $67.50.

2015 NEWBORN BABY

Welcoming a newborn baby into the world is a time for celebration and joy. Whether it is the first born child or the latest addition to the family, parenthood is a rewarding experience filled with lots of loving memories.

To congratulate and capture the moment forever, The Perth Mint is proud to release a stunning Newborn Baby coin in a stunning gift card. This 1/2oz silver proof coin is dated 2015 for all babies born in the coming year and is sure to appeal to gift buyers and coin collectors alike.

DESIGN: In western folklore, parents have told their children for centuries that babies are delivered by a stork. As an Australian take on this legend, the coin’s reverse depicts a cute Australian kookaburra carrying a sleeping newborn baby in a swaddling cloth. A representation of Australian vegetation, the inscription CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR BABY and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark are also incorporated into the design. Designed by Aleysha Howarth.

PACKAGING: The coin is housed in an elaborate themed gift card, with room to write the babies details, a family tree and a place to house a photograph. $63.50.