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About the 1 oz Emu Gold Coin
Perth Mint's Limited-Mintage Gold Emu
The 1 oz Gold Emu is one of the more limited products from the Perth Mint, with an annual mintage of just 5,000 pieces. For comparison, the 1oz Gold Kangaroo has unlimited annual production, and even the collectible Koala and Kookaburra series have significantly higher runs. The 5,000-piece cap positions the Gold Emu firmly in the overlap between bullion coin and limited collector issue.
The series launched in 2018 and features a new emu design each year by a different artist, following Perth Mint's tradition of annual design rotation. The 2025 coin, designed by Neil Hollis, depicts a mother emu with five chicks. The 2024 issue, by Ing Ing Jong, shows an emu by the sea and carries the "P125" mintmark commemorating the Perth Mint's 125th anniversary. The obverse transitioned from Queen Elizabeth II to Dan Thorne's King Charles III effigy in 2024.
At .9999 fine gold with a $100 AUD face value, the Gold Emu is Australian legal tender with the same purity as the Kangaroo, Britannia, and Maple Leaf. Perth Mint's standard security features apply: a micro-laser engraved letter on the reverse, detectable only under magnification. Each coin ships in a protective acrylic capsule.
The emu is one of Australia's two coat-of-arms animals (alongside the kangaroo), chosen because neither animal can easily walk backwards, symbolising national progress. The Emu series stands apart from Perth Mint's "Next Generation" series (which featured the crocodile, platypus, dingo, and others) as a standalone annual programme. Originally, the series was distributed exclusively through Metal Market EU in Europe before becoming more widely available.
Gold Emu Technical Details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 31.107 g (1 troy oz) |
| Purity | .9999 fine gold |
| Diameter | 32.6 mm |
| Face value | $100 AUD |
| Finish | Brilliant Uncirculated |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Annual mintage | 5,000 |
| Obverse | Dan Thorne effigy of King Charles III (2024+); Jody Clark QEII (2019-2023); Ian Rank-Broadley QEII (2018) |
| Reverse | Emu (new design and artist annually) |
| Mint | Perth Mint (Government of Western Australia) |
| Legal tender | Australia |
| First issued | 2018 |
Annual Design History
| Year | Design | Reverse designer |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Walking emu | Jennifer McKenna |
| 2019 | Standing emus | Natasha Muhl |
| 2020 | Resting emus | Natasha Muhl |
| 2021 | Emu with juvenile | Monique Reeves |
| 2022 | Emu portrait | Neil Hollis |
| 2023 | Emu with chicks | Sean Rogers |
| 2024 | Emu by the sea (P125 mintmark) | Ing Ing Jong |
| 2025 | Mother emu with five chicks | Neil Hollis |
Tax Treatment of the Gold Emu
The Gold Emu's tax treatment is identical to other .9999 fine gold coins from the Perth Mint. Its limited mintage and potential collector premiums do not change its classification as investment gold for tax purposes.
- Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold legal tender. Capital gains tax applies on disposal, with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.
- UK: VAT-exempt as investment gold. Not CGT-exempt (not UK legal tender). UK investors focused on tax efficiency should consider the 1oz Gold Britannia.
- US: No federal sales tax. State-level exemptions vary. The .9999 purity meets the IRS .995 minimum for gold IRA eligibility. Capital gains taxed at the collectibles rate of up to 28%.
- Canada: GST/HST-exempt at 99.5%+ purity.
- EU: VAT-exempt as investment gold under the EU Investment Gold Directive.
- Singapore: GST-exempt under the Investment Precious Metals scheme. No capital gains tax.
- Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.
- New Zealand: GST-exempt as fine gold at 99.5%+ purity.
Gold Emu vs Gold Kangaroo: Limited vs Mass-Market Perth Mint
The 1oz Gold Kangaroo is the Perth Mint coin that most buyers will reach for. It has unlimited mintage, wide dealer availability, tight buy-sell spreads, and competitive premiums against international peers. The Gold Emu shares its .9999 purity, $100 AUD face value, and Perth Mint provenance, but with a 5,000-piece annual run instead of open-ended production.
That scarcity creates a different investment profile. The Emu costs more to acquire (higher initial premium) and may be harder to sell quickly (fewer dealers actively making markets). In return, early years of the series (particularly the 2018 inaugural issue) have already developed secondary market premiums above their metal value. Buyers purchasing purely for gold exposure should choose the Kangaroo. Buyers who value the combination of limited mintage, annual design variety, and the emu's cultural significance may find the premium worthwhile.
Gold Emu vs Other Perth Mint Limited Series
Perth Mint also produces the Kookaburra and Koala series with annual design changes, though both have significantly higher mintages than the Emu. The 1oz Dragon Rectangular offers a different kind of distinctiveness through its unusual shape. Among Perth Mint's non-Kangaroo gold coins, the Emu occupies the most limited end of the spectrum. Only the 125th Anniversary commemorative (25,000 gold pieces) comes close in terms of scarcity from this mint, and that was a one-time issue rather than an ongoing annual series.
Gold Emu vs Major International Bullion
Against the 1oz Gold Britannia, 1oz Gold Buffalo, and Canadian Maple Leaf, the Gold Emu cannot compete on premium efficiency or liquidity. These mass-market coins trade at lower premiums with tighter spreads and are available from every bullion dealer worldwide. The Emu's 5,000-piece mintage is its differentiator: it offers sovereign mint quality and purity in a format that is genuinely limited, not merely marketed as such.
1 oz Emu Gold Coin: frequently asked questions
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The cheapest 1 oz Gold Emu we track is A$6,225.82, available from Ainslie Bullion. At 999.9 fine gold, the price tracks the gold spot price closely, with the premium reflecting the coin's limited annual mintage of 5,000.
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Ainslie Bullion currently offers the best premium at 4.6% over spot, across 2 dealers we track. Premiums on the Emu tend to run higher than mass-market bullion coins because of its fixed mintage of 5,000 per year.
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The 1 oz Gold Emu weighs 1 oz (31.1035 grams), which is one troy ounce. It is struck in 999.9 fine gold, meaning 99.99% pure gold with no meaningful alloy content.
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The Emu is an annual gold bullion coin series from the Perth Mint, launched in 2018. Each year features a new design of Australia's iconic flightless bird, struck in 99.99% pure gold. The 1 oz gold coin carries a face value of AUD $100, making it legal tender in Australia. Annual mintage is capped at 5,000, and the obverse transitioned from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III from 2024 onwards.