Australia's platinum koala series launched in 1987, making Perth one of the earliest government mints to issue a platinum bullion coin for international investment markets — trailing only the Soviet Union's platinum Palladium issues and the Isle of Man's noble by a few years. The timing was deliberate: platinum was trading at a significant premium to gold through much of the late 1980s, and Perth was competing directly with the South African Krugerrand market that had been badly damaged by apartheid-era sanctions.
The third portrait of Elizabeth II, by Raphael Maklouf, was adopted by Australian coinage in 1985.
Australia's platinum koala series launched in 1987, making Perth one of the earliest government mints to issue a platinum bullion coin for international investment markets — trailing only the Soviet Union's platinum Palladium issues and the Isle of Man's noble by a few years. The timing was deliberate: platinum was trading at a significant premium to gold through much of the late 1980s, and Perth was competing directly with the South African Krugerrand market that had been badly damaged by apartheid-era sanctions.
The third portrait of Elizabeth II, by Raphael Maklouf, was adopted by Australian coinage in 1985.