1/20 oz Perth Mint Koala Platinum Coin

The 1/20 oz Platinum Koala from Perth Mint

The 1/20 oz Platinum Koala is the smallest denomination in the Perth Mint's Platinum Koala series, containing just 1.5552 grams of 999.5 fine platinum. Struck as Australian legal tender with a face value of A$5, this coin was part of the original Platinum Koala programme that ran from 1988 to 2000. The series holds the distinction of being the first national mint platinum bullion coin programme, launched a decade before the American Platinum Eagle.

At 14.1 mm in diameter, the 1/20 oz Koala is a very small coin, smaller than most shirt buttons. Its appeal is not as a cost-efficient way to accumulate platinum (the premium per ounce at this weight is substantial), but rather as a collector piece from a closed series and a low-cost entry point into platinum ownership. The annual reverse design changes showing koalas in different natural settings give each year-date a unique identity, and with production having ended over two decades ago, surviving examples represent a finite population.

Perth Mint processed over 18 tonnes of platinum through the Koala programme, with approximately 85% sold internationally. The 1/20 oz denomination was aimed at the most price-sensitive segment of the platinum coin market, providing a government-guaranteed alternative to small platinum bars at a time when platinum investment was in its infancy. Today, the 1/20 oz denomination is uncommon in platinum: most sovereign mints start their fractional range at 1/10 oz.

1/20 oz Platinum Koala Specifications

The 1/20 oz was the smallest denomination in a range that extended up to 1 kg. The larger sizes (2 oz, 10 oz, 1 kg) were added in 1991, three years after the initial launch. All denominations shared the same annual reverse design and 999.5 fineness. Individual coins were supplied in Perth Mint protective capsules, which is essential storage at this small size.

Tax Treatment of the 1/20 oz Platinum Koala

The 1/20 oz Platinum Koala follows the same tax rules as its larger Koala siblings. Platinum is subject to purchase tax in several major markets, and the Koala's Australian legal tender status does not provide overseas tax advantages.

• Australia: GST-free as investment-grade platinum (99%+ purity). Subject to CGT on disposal with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.
• United States: The Platinum Koala is specifically listed as IRA-eligible. Capital gains taxed at up to 28% (collectibles rate). Most states exempt bullion from sales tax.
• United Kingdom: Subject to 20% VAT on purchase. Subject to CGT on disposal (not UK legal tender). The VAT plus CGT burden on a small denomination makes the effective cost very high for UK buyers.
• Canada: GST/HST exempt at 99.5%+ purity. Capital gains at 50% inclusion rate.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for platinum at 99%+ purity. No capital gains tax.
• Singapore: GST-exempt as IPM. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.
• South Africa: 15% VAT applies. No platinum exemption.

1/20 oz Platinum Koala vs Other Micro-Fractional Coins

The 1/20 oz denomination is rare in platinum. The only other major platinum coin struck at this weight during the Koala's era was the 1/20 oz Platinum Maple Leaf from the Royal Canadian Mint, which was similarly produced in limited quantities and is now secondary-market only. Most sovereign mints have settled on 1/10 oz as the smallest practical platinum coin weight.

Compared to the 1/10 oz Platinum Koala, the 1/20 oz contains half the platinum at a proportionally higher premium per ounce. The manufacturing costs of striking, quality-checking, and packaging a coin are nearly fixed regardless of size, so spreading those costs across just 1.55 grams of platinum pushes the premium well above what buyers pay for 1/4 oz or 1/2 oz Koalas.

For buyers interested in micro-fractional precious metals from the Perth Mint, the 1/25 oz Platinum Philharmonic from the Austrian Mint is the closest current-production alternative, though at an even smaller weight (1.244 g). The Koala's 1/20 oz sits between the Philharmonic's 1/25 oz and the more common 1/10 oz fractional tier.

Resale of 1/20 oz platinum coins requires specialist dealers or online platforms. Not all local coin shops handle platinum at any size, and the 1/20 oz denomination is unfamiliar to many dealers. Buyers should factor in the narrower resale market when considering this coin alongside the more liquid 1/10 oz Koala or the full 1 oz Platinum Koala.