2 oz Australian Wildlife Silver Coin

Perth Mint's Low-Mintage Wildlife Silver at 2 oz

The 2 oz Australian Wildlife silver coin is part of the Perth Mint's broader wildlife bullion programme, which encompasses several distinct sub-series featuring native Australian animals outside the flagship Kangaroo, Koala, and Kookaburra lines. The Wedge-Tailed Eagle series, designed by John Mercanti (12th Chief Engraver of the US Mint), has been the most prominent contributor at the 2 oz weight, available in both a standard bullion format and high-relief proof editions since 2014. Other wildlife coins from the Perth Mint appear at this weight on a more limited basis.

Struck in .9999 fine silver, these coins match the purity standard of the Perth Mint's flagship products. Australian legal tender with face values in Australian dollars, they carry the Perth Mint's micro-laser engraved authentication letter as a security measure. The defining characteristic of the wildlife sub-series coins, compared to the higher-volume Kangaroo or Kookaburra, is their lower mintage. This creates a hybrid proposition: bullion-grade purity and sovereign-mint provenance combined with production numbers that can generate secondary-market premiums for sought-after designs.

The 2 oz format provides a larger canvas for the detailed wildlife artwork that is the series' main attraction. At twice the weight of a 1 oz coin, the physical dimensions allow finer detail in feather textures, landscape backgrounds, and the dynamic poses that characterise Perth Mint wildlife designs. John Mercanti's involvement with the Wedge-Tailed Eagle series is an unusual cross-national collaboration between the American and Australian minting traditions; Mercanti also designed the reverse of the American Silver Eagle Type I, making his Australian eagle work a natural extension of his career-defining theme.

Australian Wildlife 2 oz Silver Specifications

Exact diameter, thickness, and face value vary by specific sub-series and year. The Wedge-Tailed Eagle 2 oz proof editions feature a high-relief strike that adds depth to the design, distinguishing them from the standard bullion finish. Both finishes share the .9999 purity standard.

Key Sub-Series at 2 oz

• Wedge-Tailed Eagle (2014-present): Designed by John Mercanti. New reverse each year featuring Australia's largest bird of prey. Available in standard bullion and high-relief proof. The 2026 coin is the 11th Mercanti design in the series.
• Limited Wildlife Issues: Various one-off or short-run 2 oz wildlife coins (Saltwater Crocodile, Quokka proof, etc.) with mintages typically between 5,000 and 30,000. These are released alongside the 1 oz bullion versions of the same sub-series.

Australian Wildlife 2 oz Tax Treatment by Country

As Australian legal tender from the Perth Mint, the 2 oz Australian Wildlife coins receive standard investment bullion treatment.

Australia

Investment-grade bullion coins at 99.9% purity or above from accredited sources are GST-free in Australia. The .9999 silver purity comfortably qualifies. Capital gains on disposal are subject to CGT, with a 50% discount for individuals holding assets longer than 12 months.

United Kingdom

Silver from non-UK mints attracts 20% VAT in the UK. The margin scheme may reduce effective VAT on pre-owned coins. Perth Mint coins are not UK legal tender and not CGT-exempt. For UK buyers seeking CGT-exempt 2 oz silver, the Royal Mint's Tudor Beasts and Queen's Beasts series (both UK legal tender) are the relevant alternatives. Capital gains on Perth Mint silver are taxed at the standard rate (18-24%) with a £3,000 annual allowance.

United States

Perth Mint .9999 coins generally qualify for IRA inclusion under IRS Section 408(m), meeting the .999 purity minimum for silver. The Wedge-Tailed Eagle series has particular appeal in the US market due to John Mercanti's involvement. State sales tax exemptions vary; approximately 35 states exempt bullion purchases. Capital gains are taxed at the 28% collectibles rate.

Other Jurisdictions

• Canada: GST/HST exempt for silver at 99.9% purity. Eligible for RRSP and TFSA inclusion.
• New Zealand: GST-exempt for silver at 99.9% purity. No capital gains tax.
• Singapore: GST-exempt under the IPM scheme for qualifying silver at 99.9% purity. No capital gains tax.
• Hong Kong: No sales tax, no import duty, no capital gains tax.
• South Africa: Silver bullion subject to 15% VAT.
• EU: Silver subject to local VAT rates (19-27%).

Perth Mint Wildlife 2 oz vs Royal Mint Tudor Beasts, Lunar, and Standard 1 oz Wildlife

The Royal Mint's Tudor Beasts series (2023-present) is the primary alternative at the 2 oz weight. Both the Tudor Beasts and Perth Mint Wildlife are struck at .9999 purity by government mints with sovereign legal tender status. The decisive difference for UK buyers is the Tudor Beasts' CGT exemption as UK legal tender, a benefit that Perth Mint coins cannot provide. The Tudor Beasts also benefit from The Royal Mint's established UK dealer network and lower shipping costs for domestic buyers. For non-UK buyers, the choice comes down to design preference: heraldic Tudor beasts versus Australian wildlife realism.

The now-complete Queen's Beasts series (2016-2021) established the Royal Mint's 2 oz silver format and remains available on the secondary market. All ten designs are CGT-exempt, and the closed set creates its own secondary-market dynamics. Complete sets command premiums above the sum of individual coins. The Perth Mint Wildlife 2 oz coins, by contrast, are from ongoing sub-series (particularly the Wedge-Tailed Eagle), with new designs available at standard bullion premiums each year.

Against the Perth Mint's own Lunar series at 2 oz, the Wildlife sub-series coins have lower mintages and a different collecting framework. The Lunar follows a 12-year zodiac cycle with each animal appearing once; the Wedge-Tailed Eagle produces a new design annually with no defined endpoint. Lunar coins attract zodiac-themed collectors (particularly in Asian markets), while the Eagle's Mercanti connection resonates in the US market.

For buyers considering the Perth Mint Wildlife at 1 oz versus 2 oz, the economics are similar on a per-ounce basis. The 2 oz version offers a larger physical coin with more design detail, while the 1 oz version is more flexible for selling in smaller increments and has wider dealer availability. The high-relief proof 2 oz editions carry a significant premium over the bullion strike and are best viewed as collector items rather than pure bullion investments.