The Numismatic History of Australia's The Gold Nugget!

Happy Australia Day!

Today we mark Australia Day – an important day in Australian history, but also a day for other nations to celebrate this beautiful country. And I can’t think of anything more worthy of celebrating than Australia’s exquisite numismatic history and one of the world’s most renowned coins – The Gold Nugget! 

The Perth Mint’s flagship gold coin, the Australian Nugget is one of the world’s purest gold coins – struck in an astonishing .9999 fine gold. But how did the illustrious Gold Nugget coin gain its worldwide acclaim?

 The Australian Gold Rush

Rumours that Australia held vast amounts of gold waiting to be discovered began to circulate almost as soon as the first settlers arrived from Europe, but it wasn’t until the late nineteenth century that the Australian Gold Rush officially began.

When Edward Hargraves, an Englishman who had emigrated to Australia, discovered five flecks of gold in a waterhole in New South Wales, he was appointed a 'Commissioner of Land' with a reward of £10,000 and a pension. As the news spread worldwide, so began a gold rush unlike anything ever seen before! Thousands of people arrived in search of better fortunes and wealth, seeing Australia as the land where dreams come true.

The discovery of gold nuggets there not only changed the lives of those lucky enough to find them, but also the fate of Australia itself. The once-remote, mostly agricultural island was transformed almost overnight into the bustling hub of global gold trade, with a booming economy and thriving prosperity to match. 

Named in honour of a native icon 

So, when Australia launched its first ever pure gold coin program in 1986, it was no surprise that the design of the coins paid tribute to their most famous nuggets: the Welcome Stranger, Little Hero, Golden Eagle, and Hand of Faith. The famous discovery of these four spectacular gold nuggets put Australia on the map as one of the greatest gold capitals of the world! So significant were the discoveries, the new coin series was even named ‘Gold Nuggets’ in their honour! 

Today, the Australian Gold Nugget coin sits comfortably amongst numismatic royalty such as the Sovereigns, the Krugerrands, the Eagles, and the Angels, and is favoured by collectors worldwide for its supreme technical brilliance.