Australia's Lunar coin program, running since 1996 under various formats across the Perth Mint and Royal Australian Mint, has generated enough parallel issues, privy-mark variants, and competing series that distinguishing between them in a collection requires genuine attention to source. This particular dollar comes from the RAM's own lunar run, distinct from Perth's longer-established series. The Rat year holds the first position in the twelve-year zodiac cycle, making 2020 issues the natural entry point for cycle-completion collectors — a marketing reality that drives mintage pressure on these pieces relative to mid-cycle animals.
Australia's Lunar coin program, running since 1996 under various formats across the Perth Mint and Royal Australian Mint, has generated enough parallel issues, privy-mark variants, and competing series that distinguishing between them in a collection requires genuine attention to source. This particular dollar comes from the RAM's own lunar run, distinct from Perth's longer-established series. The Rat year holds the first position in the twelve-year zodiac cycle, making 2020 issues the natural entry point for cycle-completion collectors — a marketing reality that drives mintage pressure on these pieces relative to mid-cycle animals.