The Perth Mint debuts one of the bullion calendar highlights, the seventh Lunar Series III design, the Year of the Horse.
One of the absolute legends of the modern numismatic world, the Perth Mint’s Lunar Series has been going since 1996, when Lunar Series I, specifically the Year of the Mouse, debuted. It wasn’t until 2000, when the Year of the Dragon was released, that the series exploded, and it’s been a staple of the bullion calendar ever since.
The lunar calendar has twelve animals, so in 2008, Lunar Series II debuted, and in 2020, came Lunar Series III. Each series has a distinct style, and the current one is firmly rooted in realism, which we’re big fans of, and consider that view justified given the very high standard S-III has achieved. The 2026 horse is no exception, hardly surprising given the Perth Mint has a history of cool horse coins with both their Stock Horse, and current Brumby range, impressing.
Regular mint artist, Ing Ing Jong, does the honours, and in my opinion, she has done a terrific job. There’s a great contrast between the gold and silver designs, with the former in the Stock/Brumby style. It’s the silver design that’s the star for me, with a pair of galloping animals near a river really hammering home a sense of freedom, which is particularly appealing.
As the 31st lunar series coin to be released, and the 7th in series III, the 2026 Year of the Horse has a lot to live up to, and the Perth Mint has delivered another superb design to do so. Competition in the bullion market is more intense than it’s been for years, but we reckon this one has what it takes to stand out. Available to order today.
THE BULLION RANGE
The bullion range is as extensive as ever, and there are no changes from previous releases in the Lunar Series III range. The highlights remain the one-ounce silver, and the one ounce gold, both of which have strictly limited mintages, which makes them prime choices given they’re also the most popular sizes. Rounding out the usual offerings is the one-ounce platinum coin, which has the unique advantage of having a silver-like appearance, but with the gold design, making them a nice collectible in their own right.
Silver design
Common obverse (example shown 1oz silver)
The silver bullion range
Gold design
Platinum design
The gold bullion range
| SPECIFICATION | |||||
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIAMETER | FINISH | MINTAGE | |
| $0.5 AUD (Australia) | 15.55 g of 0.9999 silver | 32.6 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $1 AUD (Australia) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.9 mm | Reverse BU | 300,000 | |
| $2 AUD (Australia) | 62.2 g of 0.9999 silver | 50.8 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $8 AUD (Australia) | 155.5 g of 0.9999 silver | 61.0 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $30 AUD (Australia) | 1,000 g of 0.9999 silver | 100.9 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $5 AUD (Australia) | 1.56 g of 0.9999 gold | 14.6 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $15 AUD (Australia) | 3.11 g of 0.9999 gold | 16.6 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $25 AUD (Australia) | 7.78 g of 0.9999 gold | 20.6 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $50 AUD (Australia) | 15.55 g of 0.9999 gold | 25.6 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $100 AUD (Australia) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 gold | 32.6 mm | Reverse BU | 30,000 | |
| $200 AUD (Australia) | 62.2 g of 0.9999 gold | 40.9 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $1000 AUD (Australia) | 311.1 g of 0.9999 gold | 61.0 mm | Reverse BU | Unlimited | |
| $100 AUD (Australia) | 31.1 g of 0.9995 platinum | 32.6 mm | Reverse BU | 5,000 | |
THE PROOF LAUNCH RANGE
One thing you can’t say about the Perth Mint’s Lunar range is that you’re starved for choice. Over the next year, expect to see a plethora of numismatic offerings, including proof, high-relief, coloured, and gilded adaptations of this core design. Kicking the whole program off are straight gold and silver proof coins, three of the former, and three of the latter.
While the one-ounce, quarter ounce, and tenth ounce gold coins are all sold individually, only the half ounce and one ounce silver coins are similarly presented. If you want a two ounce silver proof, you’ll have to pick up the three-coin set, and there will only be 1,000 of those.
| SPECIFICATION | |||||
| DENOMINATION | COMPOSITION | DIAMETER | FINISH | MINTAGE | |
| $0.5 AUD (Australia) | 15.55 g of 0.9999 silver | 32.6 mm | Proof | 4,000 | |
| $1 AUD (Australia) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 silver | 40.9 mm | Proof | 5,000 | |
| $15 AUD (Australia) | 3.11 g of 0.9999 gold | 16.6 mm | Proof | 2,500 | |
| $25 AUD (Australia) | 7.78 g of 0.9999 gold | 20.6 mm | Proof | 3,500 | |
| $100 AUD (Australia) | 31.1 g of 0.9999 gold | 32.6 mm | Proof | 1,000 | |
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