2013 1/2 oz Year of the Snake Gold Coin - Lunar Series

The Perth Mint releases a coin to celebrate the animal that corresponds with the Chinese Lunar Calendar each year. The year 2013 is celebrated with the Year of the Snake and you can now find this gorgeous creature on the 2013 1/2 oz Year of the Snake Gold Coin - Lunar Series. 

The Year of the Snake Coins are a part of the Perth Mint's Lunar Series II gold coins. From 1996 to 2007, the first Gold Lunar Series was issued, followed by the Lunar Series II from 2008 to 2019, ending with the Year of the Pig in 2019. The Year of the Snake coins are featured in both gold and silver and come in many different sizes.

The Perth Mint has been in operation since before Australia was even a country. The Perth Mint was formed in 1899 as a subsidiary of the British Royal Mint and Australia did not gain independence from Great Britain until 1901. The Perth Mint has produced many popular bullion items like the Australian Kangaroo over the course of its long history.

Coin Highlights 

• Contains 1/2 ounce of .9999 pure gold;
• Ships in a mint capsule;
• 50 AUD face value backed by the Australian government;
• IRA approved gold coin.

Design

Each coin's obverse features a snake curled up in bamboo grass, poised to pounce on its prey. The Chinese emblem for the year of the snake is to the left of the snake, as is the Perth Mint's "P" mintmark, which appears on all of their coins. The "Year of the Snake" is the title of the coin, which is featured on the bottom.

The iconic profile picture of a youthful Queen Elizabeth is found in the center of the reverse of the coin. The words "ELIZABETH II," "AUSTRALIA," "200 DOLLARS," "2013," and “1/2 OZ 9999 GOLD” surround the effigy.