Collecting Australian silver dollars and silver bullion coins.

American Silver Eagle coins are one of the most popular silver bullion coins for collectors and investors alike. But the U.S. Mint isn’t the only one producing collectible silver dollars.

The Royal Canadian Mint has been producing the extremely popular Canadian Silver Maple Leaf since 1988. And China, Mexico, and Great Britain also issue silver bullion coins.

Australia has the distinction of having two mints that create and produce investment-quality silver dollars. The Perth Mint, which issues the Kookaburra, the Koala, and the Lunar Chinese Year silver dollars, and the Royal Australian Mint, which issues the popular Australian Kangaroo silver dollar.

The Perth Mint dates from 1899, when it was opened to create coins from a lode of gold discovered in neighboring Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. Owned by the State Government of Western Australia, it was part of the British Royal Mint until 1970.

Today, the Perth Mint is recognized around the world for beautiful design and superb craftsmanship. They are the official issuer for the federal government of Australia’s gold and silver bullion coins. And the purity – 99.9% silver – and weight of the coins is guaranteed by the Australia government.

Australian Kookaburra silver dollars.

In 1990, the Perth Mint produced the first Australian Kookaburra silver coins. Although the obverse, which features an image of Queen Elizabeth II designed by Ian Rank-Broadley, remains the same, the image of the kookaburra on the reverse changes each year.

Native to Australia, the kookaburra is a member of the kingfisher family that’s best known for it’s distinctive call, which sounds eerily like a human laughing. Because of that, he’s a favorite of Aussies and visitors alike who are enchanted by his infectious good spirits.

The 2010 design features a kookaburra on a large branch, facing right. One kilo, ten ounce, and one ounce versions of the coin are being produced with a face value of $30, $10, and $1. The one-ounce silver dollar is limited to a mintage of just 300,000.

Australian Koala silver dollars.

The Perth Mint issued the first Koala silver coin in 2007. Since then, it’s become a very collectible coin. Like the Kookaburra, the design of obverse features an unchanging Queen Elizabeth II, and the design of the koala on the reverse changes every year.

For 2010, one kilo, ten ounce, one ounce, and one-half coins are being issued. They have a face value of $30, $10, $1, and 50 cents, respectively. This year’s design depicts a koala sitting in a tree, eating eucalyptus leaves. It features a frosted background that makes the bright koala really pop.

Australian Lunar silver dollars.

First minted in 1999, Silver Lunar coins depict the twelve animals of the Chinese Calendar. The 2010 coin, the twelfth in the series, commemorates the Year of the Tiger. Previous issues show a rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, mouse, and ox.

The 2010 design features a tiger in repose on the reserve with the inscription, “Year of the Tiger.” Queen Elizabeth II is on the obverse.

There are eight sizes available – ten kilo, one kilo, one-half kilo, ten ounce, five ounce, two ounce, one ounce, and one-half ounce. The ten-kilo coin has a mintage limit of 500, and the one-ounce coin is limited to 300,000.

The “P” mint mark appears on all Perth coins and they are available directly from the Perth Mint or from authorized dealers.

Read more about American Silver Eagle coins here.

Images courtesy of Perth Mint.

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