However, the theme was rejected because few people outside of Australia identified the country with its national flower.
The next concept considered was a map of Australia, however this was also rejected because it failed to provide an appropriate name. At this point a new direction was decided that the name and theme should position the coin as being synonymous with gold, and the concept of nuggets as the design theme appeared to be an ideal choice for Australia’ s new series of gold coins.
The first proof issue of the Australian nugget was released in late 1986. Struck from 99.99 % pure gold, the Australian Nugget 1oz Gold Proof Coin was the nation’ s first legal tender gold proof coin and featured a depiction of the famous Welcome Stranger nugget found in 1869— the largest alluvial gold nugget ever found. intention to issue bullion coins in three precious metals – gold, silver and platinum.
THE KANGAROO TAKES CENTRE STAGE
In 1989, we made a pivotal change: replacing nugget imagery with a more universally recognised Australian icon— the kangaroo. This marked the birth of the Australian Kangaroo Coin Series, which continues to captivate investors worldwide.
The first kangaroo design was created by Stuart Devlin, a master goldsmith and one of Australia’ s most celebrated designers. After winning the 1964 competition to design Australia’ s decimal coinage, Devlin’ s work became a part of everyday life— from the echidna on the five-cent coin to the platypus on the fifty-cent piece.
His influence extended far beyond Australia. Devlin designed coins and medals for over 30 countries, including commemorative pieces for the Sydney 2000 Olympics and the Order of Australia. In 1982, he was appointed Goldsmith and Jeweller to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a testament to his global reputation.
FEATURE ARTICLE
Also released were fractional sizes depicting other famous natural nuggets such as Hand of Faith( 1980), Golden Eagle( 1931) and Little Hero( 1890)- the only program in the world to feature a different design on the reverse of all four sizes in the issue.
It was followed a few months later by the Australian Nugget Gold Bullion Coins. As a result of the success of the Nugget, Australia became the first country to announce its
Devlin’ s dynamic portrayal of a kangaroo leaping across the outback landscape became an instant classic and remains a cornerstone of the series.
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