1 oz Swan Gold Coin

Perth Mint's Limited-Mintage Swan in .9999 Gold

The 1 oz Swan gold coin from the Perth Mint is the gold counterpart to one of the most collectible silver bullion series on the market. Struck in .9999 fine gold with a new reverse design each year, it carries an annual mintage of just 5,000 pieces, placing it firmly in the overlap between bullion coin and numismatic collectible. The inaugural 2017 silver Swan (25,000 mintage) sold out worldwide in under 48 hours, and the gold version has maintained similarly strong demand across each subsequent release.

The black swan is the official bird emblem of Western Australia. Perth itself sits on the Swan River, named for the colony established there in 1829, and the Perth Mint's own logo incorporates a stylised swan. This coin is, in a meaningful sense, the Perth Mint's most personal design, connecting the product directly to the mint's geographic and cultural identity in a way that the gold Kangaroo (a national symbol) does not.

Each year's reverse is unique and will not be repeated, following the model established by the Perth Mint's Kangaroo and Kookaburra series. The 2024 design depicts a swan flapping its wings while settling on water against a night sky with a full moon; the 2025 version shows a swan with outstretched wings standing in shallow waters with mountains and a rising sun. The obverse transitioned from Queen Elizabeth II to King Charles III (Dan Thorne effigy) from 2024.

For buyers focused purely on acquiring gold at the lowest premium, the Swan is not the right coin. The 5,000 mintage guarantees premiums well above the 1 oz gold Kangaroo or 1 oz gold Maple Leaf. The appeal here is in owning a limited-run coin from a major sovereign mint, with a track record of secondary market appreciation, particularly for early-year issues.

Swan 1 oz Gold Coin Specifications

Annual Reverse Designs

The reverse design changes every year, depicting swans in different poses and settings. The gold and silver versions share each year's design concept. The 2017 inaugural issue features a single swan swimming on water. The 2018 edition introduced a swan with a cygnet and rippling water effect. The 2022 design shows two swans floating together. The 2024 issue places a swan landing against a night sky with a full moon and stars. The 2025 coin depicts a swan with outstretched wings in shallow water, with mountains and a rising sun in the background. A 10th anniversary edition is anticipated for 2026.

Security and Packaging

Later issues incorporate a micro-laser engraved letter as an anti-counterfeiting measure, detectable under magnification. The Perth Mint "P" mintmark appears on all coins. Each coin ships in a protective acrylic capsule. Collector variants include the Gold Proof High Relief (approximately 188 pieces per year), 5 oz Silver Proof High Relief (500 pieces, introduced 2023), and coloured silver editions (from 2024). The BU silver version maintains a consistent 25,000 annual mintage, with proof silver versions at approximately 2,500 per year.

Tax Position for the Perth Mint Swan Gold Coin

The Swan gold coin is Australian legal tender under the Currency Act with a face value of AUD $100. Its .9999 purity meets or exceeds the investment gold threshold in every major jurisdiction.

Australia

GST-free as legal tender bullion. The .9999 purity is well above the 99.5% threshold for investment-grade gold. Capital gains tax applies on disposal, with individuals who hold for more than 12 months qualifying for a 50% CGT discount.

UK

VAT-exempt as investment gold. Not CGT-exempt, as CGT exemption applies only to UK legal tender coins (such as the 1 oz gold Britannia). Perth Mint coins, despite their sovereign mint status, do not carry sterling face values. Gains are subject to CGT at 18% (basic rate) or 24% (higher rate), with a GBP 3,000 annual allowance.

United States

The .9999 purity meets the IRS 99.5% threshold for IRA eligibility, and as a government-issued coin, the Swan qualifies for inclusion in a self-directed precious metals IRA. Sales tax varies by state, with roughly 35 states offering exemptions on bullion purchases. Long-term capital gains on bullion are taxed at the collectibles rate of 28% maximum.

Canada

GST/HST-exempt as a foreign legal tender bullion coin exceeding the 99.5% purity threshold.

New Zealand

Gold coins of .995+ purity that are legal tender are GST-exempt (zero-rated). The Swan qualifies. Perth Mint coins are well recognised in the Australasian market.

Singapore and Hong Kong

Singapore classifies qualifying gold coins as Investment Precious Metals (IPM), exempt from the 9% GST. Hong Kong has no sales tax or import duty on gold. Both jurisdictions have no capital gains tax, making them particularly efficient for bullion holders.

Swan vs Kangaroo, Maple Leaf, and Kookaburra

The Perth Mint's own 1 oz gold Kangaroo is the most natural comparison. Both are .9999 fine, both are Australian legal tender, and both feature annually changing reverse designs. The key difference is scarcity: the Kangaroo has an unlimited mintage produced to meet demand, resulting in significantly lower premiums and tighter dealer spreads. The Swan's 5,000 annual gold mintage is dwarfed by the Kangaroo's production volume, and this scarcity is reflected in both the initial premium and secondary market pricing.

Against the 1 oz gold Maple Leaf, the Swan shares .9999 purity and government mint provenance. The Maple Leaf's Bullion DNA anti-counterfeiting technology is more advanced than the Swan's micro-laser engraving, and the Maple's unlimited mintage keeps premiums substantially lower. The Swan has no equivalent to the Maple's machine-readable authentication system, though the micro-laser engraving provides a visual verification layer.

The Perth Mint Kookaburra series offers a closer parallel in terms of collectibility. The silver Kookaburra has a 500,000 mintage compared to the Swan silver's 25,000, making the Swan roughly 20 times scarcer. This scarcity gap explains why early-year Swan coins have appreciated significantly on the secondary market, with the 2017 inaugural silver reaching 3x melt value within days of release.

For pure stackers seeking maximum gold per dollar spent, the Swan is not competitive with standard bullion coins. Its value proposition is built on the combination of Perth Mint credibility, proven annual sell-out history, and a mintage low enough to support genuine secondary market appreciation. Buyers should treat the premium as partly a bet on collector demand rather than a pure bullion acquisition cost.