1/4 oz Perth Mint Lunar Gold Coin

The 1/4 oz Gold Lunar: The Zodiac Cycle at a Quarter the Outlay

The 1/4 oz gold Lunar brings the Perth Mint's zodiac program down to the most popular fractional size. Struck in 99.99% fine gold with a $25 AUD face value, it carries the same annual zodiac animal design as the 1oz gold Lunar, rotating through the twelve animals across complete 12-year cycles: Series I (1996-2007), Series II (2008-2019) and the current Series III (2020-2031).

The quarter-ounce weight class trades a moderate premium penalty for accessibility: typical fractional premiums at this size run 7-12% over spot versus 3-5% at 1 oz, but the price point suits regular buying and dollar-cost averaging in a way the full ounce does not. For Lunar collectors specifically, the quarter is the practical set-building size; completing a 12-year zodiac cycle in 1 oz gold is a serious outlay, while the same cycle in quarters costs roughly a quarter as much and carries the identical designs. Complete sets command premiums from collectors, though each coin stands alone as bullion.

Series III coins carry the program's security features: a micro-laser engraved letter readable under magnification, the "P" mintmark worked into the reverse design, and a radial line background that is difficult to replicate. Older Series I and II quarters have no advanced security features, so secondary-market buying of early years leans on weight, dimensions and strike quality. As across the Lunar range, mintages are controlled rather than unlimited, Dragon years sell fastest, and early Series I issues are the scarce ones. Buyers who want Perth Mint fractional gold at the lowest premium without the collector angle should compare the 1/4 oz gold Kangaroo.

1/4 oz Gold Lunar Specifications

The quarter-ounce coin has been part of the gold Lunar denomination ladder since the program's early years, sitting between the 1/10 oz and 1/2 oz sizes.

The reverse changes annually with the zodiac cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, each accompanied by Chinese characters and, in Series III, landscape elements around the animal. The obverse carries the monarch, with King Charles III from 2024 following the Maklouf, Rank-Broadley and Clark portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. The wider gold range runs from 1/20 oz to a 10 kg coin, with not every size struck every year; the quarter is among the consistently produced denominations. Face values are symbolic, with the $25 denomination far below the coin's metal value.

1/4 oz Gold Lunar Tax Treatment

The quarter-ounce Lunar's 99.99% purity gives it the standard investment-gold profile worldwide.

• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade gold (99.5%+ purity). CGT applies on disposal with a 50% discount for individuals and trusts holding 12 months or more; Australian legal tender status confers no CGT exemption.
• UK: VAT-free as investment gold, but not CGT-exempt because it has no sterling face value. UK buyers at this price point comparing tax positions usually look at the CGT-exempt 1/4 oz Britannia or Gold Sovereign instead.
• USA: IRA-eligible at 99.99% fine, held by an approved custodian, with gains taxed as collectibles at up to 28% federally. Most states exempt bullion from sales tax, though some exemptions carry minimum transaction thresholds (for example $1,000 in New York, $2,000 in California) that a single quarter-ounce coin may not meet on its own.
• Canada: GST/HST-exempt as qualifying 99.5%+ bullion; eligible for RRSPs through qualifying dealers.
• EU: VAT-exempt where listed on the EU's annual gold coins list, on which Perth Lunar gold coins typically appear.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt as gold above the 99.5% purity threshold.
• Singapore and Hong Kong: GST-exempt in Singapore as qualifying investment gold; Hong Kong levies no sales tax or import duty. Neither taxes capital gains, fitting for two of the Lunar program's core markets.

1/4 oz Lunar vs Kangaroo, Britannia and Panda

Within the Perth Mint's own range, the 1/4 oz Kangaroo is the head-to-head choice: identical .9999 purity, same mint, same $25 face value, and its own annual design change. The difference is supply policy. The Kangaroo is produced to demand with unlimited mintage and lower premiums; the Lunar's controlled mintages and zodiac demand cost more going in, with the collector's possibility that popular years and animals appreciate above spot. Stackers pick the Kangaroo; cycle collectors pick the Lunar.

The 1/4 oz Britannia (£25 face value, .9999 fine) is the tax-decisive option for UK sellers thanks to CGT exemption, and carries advanced laser-etched security features. The Lunar cannot compete on UK tax; it competes on design variety and the Asia-Pacific demand base that the Britannia lacks.

The Chinese Gold Panda is the thematic rival, with annual designs of its own, but it no longer strikes a true quarter-ounce: since the 2016 metric switch its nearest size is 8 g against the Lunar's 7.777 g, and it is 99.9% fine against the Lunar's 99.99%. The Lunar's troy-ounce sizing keeps it directly comparable with the rest of the bullion market.

One general note on the weight class: a quarter-ounce coin's premium economics sit between the efficient 1/2 oz and the expensive 1/10 oz, with good dealer liquidity. For the Lunar specifically that maths is complicated, in the buyer's favour or against it, by year and animal; a Dragon-year quarter behaves differently from an off-year one. Checking prices across 1/4 oz gold coins generally shows whether a given Lunar year is trading as bullion or as a collectible.