1/4 oz Royal Australian Mint Lunar Gold Coin

The Royal Australian Mint's Fractional Lunar Gold Coin

The 1/4 oz Royal Australian Mint Lunar Gold Coin is part of the RAM's zodiac-themed bullion programme, launched in 2020 with the Year of the Mouse (Rat). The series follows the 12-year Chinese zodiac cycle, with each annual issue depicting the corresponding animal. The quarter-ounce denomination contains 7.777 grams of 999.9 fine gold with an AUD $25 face value, making it Australian legal tender.

This series is frequently confused with the better-known Perth Mint Lunar coins, which began in 1996 and are now in their third cycle. The two are entirely separate programmes from different mints. The RAM, located in Canberra, operates under the Commonwealth government and produces Australia's circulating currency. Perth Mint, in Western Australia, is a state government enterprise. The RAM Lunar entered the market 24 years after Perth's first lunar issue, and its gold coins carry a limited mintage of 5,000 per year per denomination, considerably scarcer than typical Perth Mint bullion production.

The 2024 Year of the Dragon issue saw particularly strong demand, as the Dragon is traditionally the most sought-after animal in any lunar series. The RAM's contemporary design style, using Australian artists rather than the traditional Chinese-influenced motifs favoured by Perth Mint, gives the series a distinctive visual identity. For collectors assembling complete zodiac sets, the RAM Lunar represents a lower-mintage alternative that has been gaining recognition since its 2020 debut.

RAM Lunar 1/4 oz Gold Specifications

Design and Obverse Transition

The reverse features a different zodiac animal each year, rendered in a modern artistic style by Australian designers. The obverse carried the Jody Clark portrait of Queen Elizabeth II from 2020 through 2024, transitioning to a King Charles III portrait from 2025 onward following the monarch's death in September 2022.

The 2020 Year of the Rat was notable as the first RAM coin to feature a new multi-level security system. Specific details of this security technology have not been widely published, following a security-through-obscurity approach. All coins carry the face value and denomination of the Australian dollar, backed by the Commonwealth government.

Zodiac Release Schedule

The second zodiac cycle begins in 2026 with a new Year of the Horse design. The gold coins are produced from ethically-sourced Australian gold. Each denomination carries Australian legal tender face values proportional to size: the 1 oz denomination has AUD $100, the 1/2 oz has AUD $50, and the 1/4 oz has AUD $25. Proof versions are also produced with mirror-finish backgrounds and higher face values, typically with more restricted mintages of around 7,500 pieces.

Tax Treatment of the RAM Lunar Gold Coin

The RAM Lunar is Australian legal tender at 999.9 fine gold, qualifying it for investment gold exemptions in all major markets.

Purchase Tax

• Australia: GST-free. Gold at 99.5% purity or above is exempt from the 10% GST.
• United Kingdom: VAT-free as investment gold. Not UK legal tender, so the exemption is based purely on purity and legal tender status in the country of origin.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State-level exemptions apply in most states.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt for gold at 99.5% purity or above.
• European Union: VAT-exempt under the EU Investment Gold Directive.
• Singapore: GST-exempt as an Investment Precious Metal.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax or import duty.

Capital Gains and Retirement Accounts

• UK: Not CGT-exempt. Only UK legal tender coins qualify for the capital gains tax exemption. Buyers wanting CGT-free lunar gold coins for the UK market should consider the 1/4 oz Royal Mint Lunar, which carries UK legal tender status.
• USA: IRA eligibility is not widely confirmed for the RAM Lunar series. Most IRA custodian approved lists focus on American Eagles, Canadian Maple Leafs, and Perth Mint coins. The 999.9 purity meets the IRS minimum of 99.5%, but buyers should verify with their custodian before purchasing.
• Australia: Subject to CGT on disposal. Individuals holding for more than 12 months receive a 50% CGT discount.
• Canada: Gold coins meeting 99.5% purity qualify for RRSP inclusion in principle. Capital gains taxed at the 50% inclusion rate.
• Germany: Capital gains tax-free if held for more than one year.

RAM Lunar vs Perth Mint Lunar and Royal Mint Lunar

Three sovereign mints now produce lunar zodiac gold coins, each with distinct characteristics. The Perth Mint Lunar is the original, running since 1996 and now in its third cycle. Perth offers a far wider weight range (1/20 oz to 10 oz in gold) and substantially higher production volumes, giving it unmatched global liquidity and brand recognition. The RAM Lunar's advantage is scarcity: its limited gold mintages create a collector-bullion crossover niche where secondary market premiums can develop for sold-out years.

The 1/4 oz Royal Mint Lunar from the Shengxiao Collection holds a decisive advantage for UK-based buyers: as UK legal tender, it is exempt from Capital Gains Tax. The RAM Lunar carries no such benefit outside Australia. The Royal Mint series, launched in 2014, shifted from bullion to proof and Brilliant Uncirculated quality from 2021 onward, which raised premiums significantly and pushed the series toward the collector end of the spectrum.

In terms of design, the RAM Lunar uses a contemporary Australian art style that differs noticeably from Perth Mint's traditional Chinese-influenced aesthetic. Both are 999.9 fine gold, both are Australian legal tender, and both change design annually. The RAM version typically trades at lower premiums than Perth Mint Lunar coins, partly because its global brand recognition is still developing. For buyers who prioritise metal content at the best price, the non-lunar 1/4 oz Maple Leaf or 1/4 oz Britannia will generally offer lower premiums than any lunar series.