The Perth Mint's lunar series draws on the Chinese zodiac cycle that had already proven commercially successful through the Royal Australian Mint's earlier lunar program, which concluded in 2007. Perth launched its own competing series in 1996 and has continued it without interruption, positioning Australia as the dominant sovereign issuer of zodiac-themed bullion. The Tiger year falls in a twelve-year cycle, and this 2010 five-ounce issue was produced with a mintage ceiling of 8,000 pieces — a deliberately constrained figure aimed squarely at the East Asian collector market.
The $8 face value is a nod to the number's auspicious status in Chinese numerology.
The Perth Mint's lunar series draws on the Chinese zodiac cycle that had already proven commercially successful through the Royal Australian Mint's earlier lunar program, which concluded in 2007. Perth launched its own competing series in 1996 and has continued it without interruption, positioning Australia as the dominant sovereign issuer of zodiac-themed bullion. The Tiger year falls in a twelve-year cycle, and this 2010 five-ounce issue was produced with a mintage ceiling of 8,000 pieces — a deliberately constrained figure aimed squarely at the East Asian collector market.
The $8 face value is a nod to the number's auspicious status in Chinese numerology.