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Silver Kookaburra
Known by all of those in the Outback as the Bushman’s clock for giving its signature laughing call at both dawn and dusk, the Kookaburra is one of the many fauna native to Australia. Despite its small size, the carnivorous bird has a bad habit of swiping stakes off the “barbie” and cackling, but that doesn’t detract from their inherent beauty. From forests to deserts and even in the suburbs of cities, the Kookaburra can be found all across Australia. Not only are they prevalent, but this bird was chosen as one of Australia’s three mascots for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. These small birds are so intrinsically linked to Australia that many films and televisions uses its staple call as a stock sound effect for the Outback and the Australian bush. With how tied to the nation they are, it was only a matter of time before they were struck in silver. Keep reading to learn more about one of the Perth Mint's premier bullion Silver Kookaburra series, and to add a piece of down under, immortalized in .9999 fine silver, to your collection.
A Brief History of Perth Mint’s Kookaburra Series
In 1990, thePerth Mint decided to immortalize this cultural icon by starting the Silver Kookaburra series, thus adding another one of Australia’s unique animals to the Mint’s widening list of Australian fauna themed bullion offerings. Joining the already established Kangaroo bullion series, and later followed by the release of the Silver Koala series in 2007, the Kookaburra shows off the variety of animals inhabiting the island nation. All these animal themed bullion series have risen to critical acclaim and are highly sought after every year.
Quality Strikes and Annually Changing Designs
Its generally low mintage isn’t the only thing that makes the Silver Kookaburra a great addition to any collection, the quality of this series is something to behold as well and shows the dedication to quality that the Perth Mint has become known for. Originally struck in 99.9% fine silver, the Mint began striking these coins in 99.99% silver in 2018. The annual release of the Silver Kookaburra sees the little chatty bird represented in coin form, with a different design every year. The 2016 Australian silver Kookaburra has a lone Kookaburra cackling a top of a post with barbed wire wrapping around it, the 2017 Australia silver kookaburra shows a pair of the birds, a parent and a child, sitting on a fence, while the 2018 Australia silver kookaburra has the kookaburra in flight with a depiction of the moon in the background.
Special Kookaburra Releases
The Silver Kookaburra series also features a special High Relief variation. These versions are double thick proofs and are even more limited than the uncirculated silver Kookaburra. These high reliefs can also be found in sets accompanied by a silver kangaroo and a silver koala. Every year the Australian Silver Kookaburra is released with incredible quality and generally low mintages.
With new designs being released every year, there is always something to look forward to with this iconic Perth Mint series.
