Part of Perth Mint's long-running Australian Animals bullion and proof series, the echidna issues of this period were produced in strictly limited proof mintages aimed squarely at the international collector market rather than domestic circulation. The .9999 fineness — purer than the Sovereign standard — became a deliberate point of differentiation for Perth against the Royal Canadian Mint's Maple Leaf program through the late 1990s and 2000s.
Part of Perth Mint's long-running Australian Animals bullion and proof series, the echidna issues of this period were produced in strictly limited proof mintages aimed squarely at the international collector market rather than domestic circulation. The .9999 fineness — purer than the Sovereign standard — became a deliberate point of differentiation for Perth against the Royal Canadian Mint's Maple Leaf program through the late 1990s and 2000s.