1 oz Southern Cross Silver Bar

Australia's LBMA-Accredited Silver at Four Nines Purity

The 1 oz ABC Refinery Southern Cross Silver Bar carries .999 fine silver from Australia's largest gold refinery and the country's only LBMA-accredited refiner. The Southern Cross collection was launched in June 2025 by ABC Mint (a division of Pallion, the same group that operates ABC Refinery), conceptualised by Ross MacDiarmid AO, former CEO of the Royal Australian Mint, and illustrated by coin artist Tony Dean.

The Southern Cross collection is primarily issued as coins struck as Niue legal tender with King Charles III on the obverse, though bar formats also exist in the range. The 1 oz silver version features the collection's signature design of a kangaroo and emu in silhouette against the outback landscape, gazing upward at the five stars of the Southern Cross constellation (Crux). These two animals appear on Australia's coat of arms and are commonly noted for being unable to walk backwards, symbolising forward progress.

The collection uses Australian-mined precious metals refined domestically by ABC Refinery, offering complete Australian provenance from mine to finished product. This vertical integration from LBMA-accredited refinery to minted bullion is the collection's key differentiator from imported alternatives. The range is an unlimited open edition priced on metal market value plus a modest premium, positioning it as investment bullion rather than a numismatic collectable.

1 oz Southern Cross Silver Bar Details

The coin versions in the Southern Cross range carry Niue legal tender status with NZD-denominated face values and the King Charles III effigy. Gold versions use .9999 fine gold; the silver coins also use .9999 purity (four nines), which is notably higher than the typical .999 for silver bullion coins. The bar format at .999 follows the standard silver bar convention.

Tax Treatment of the Southern Cross Silver

Tax treatment depends on whether the specific product carries legal tender status (coin format with Niue issue) or is a non-legal-tender bar.

• Australia: Gold bullion meeting investment criteria is GST-exempt. Silver bullion can also qualify as GST-exempt when sold as investment-grade bullion from a recognised source. ABC Bullion confirms most of their products are GST-exempt. No CGT exemptions for bullion in Australia; profits are subject to CGT with a 50% discount for holdings over 12 months.
• New Zealand: As Niue legal tender (Niue uses the NZD), coin variants may have specific GST treatment. Standard GST of 15% applies to most silver bullion in NZ unless meeting the fine bullion exemption (99.9%+ purity).
• United Kingdom: Gold versions are VAT-exempt as investment gold (.9999 purity). Silver subject to 20% VAT. Not UK legal tender, so no CGT exemption on any version.
• United States: No federal sales tax. State exemptions vary. Available through US dealers including APMEX and Bullion Exchanges.
• Singapore: Investment-grade precious metals are GST-exempt under the IPM scheme. Silver at 99.9%+ purity from LBMA-accredited refiners qualifies.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.

Southern Cross vs Other Australian Silver

The Southern Cross competes directly with Perth Mint's established silver bullion range, particularly the Kookaburra and Koala coins. Perth Mint products use .999 silver (three nines) versus the Southern Cross coin range's .9999 (four nines), giving ABC Mint a measurable purity advantage on the coin variants. Perth Mint has far greater global brand recognition and deeper secondary market liquidity, built over decades of consistent production.

Against the 1 oz Canadian Maple Leaf (the global benchmark for four-nines silver bullion), the Southern Cross offers similar purity with Australian provenance and the Southern Hemisphere design theme. The Maple Leaf has unmatched global liquidity and sophisticated micro-engraved security features that the Southern Cross lacks.

The LBMA accreditation of ABC Refinery is a meaningful differentiator from other Australian-themed bullion products. It provides assurance of metal quality from an internationally recognised refinery with complete domestic supply chain, from Australian mines through Australian refining to Australian minting. For Australian buyers wanting to support domestic industry while accumulating silver at investment-grade specifications, the Southern Cross fills a specific gap.