Description
The Australian Nugget was first minted in 1986 by the Perth Mint and has become one of the most popular gold bullion coins. This was the first legal tender gold coin series to be produced by the Perth Mint since they ceased minting the gold Sovereign in 1931. Originally, it was designed with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Ian Rank Broadley on the obverse and a design by Dr Stuart Devlin of the famous ÔWelcome StrangerÕ natural gold nugget, on the reverse of the one ounce coin. The ÔWelcome Stranger nugget was discovered in 1869 and weighed an amazing 2284 ounces.
From 1989, the design was changed to that of a kangaroo, as it was deemed more of a universally recognised symbol of Australia.
