The Year of the Ox series occupies a specific commercial niche for Perth Mint — annual Lunar issues sold primarily into Southeast Asian and diaspora markets where the 12-year cycle carries genuine cultural weight. The 2021 ox falls in a year when pandemic-related gold demand spiked sharply, and Perth Mint's own bullion program came under scrutiny after audits raised questions about gold bar purity standards at the refinery — controversies that ran parallel to, but distinct from, its collector coin operation.
The 6th portrait of Elizabeth II, by Jody Clark, was introduced to Australian coinage in 2019.
The Year of the Ox series occupies a specific commercial niche for Perth Mint — annual Lunar issues sold primarily into Southeast Asian and diaspora markets where the 12-year cycle carries genuine cultural weight. The 2021 ox falls in a year when pandemic-related gold demand spiked sharply, and Perth Mint's own bullion program came under scrutiny after audits raised questions about gold bar purity standards at the refinery — controversies that ran parallel to, but distinct from, its collector coin operation.
The 6th portrait of Elizabeth II, by Jody Clark, was introduced to Australian coinage in 2019.