Gold has been a source of fascination for mankind for centuries. Through the ages, civilisations have displayed tremendous value and prestige through gold coins, and modern-day parties have firmly sustained this belief. Gold has produced diversified portfolios through hard assets and grounded investors during economic upheavals, stored in precious metals vaults to safeguard this wealth. Join us as we explore the world's largest gold coins ever minted, their histories, and their lasting legacies.
1. The Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin
Australia's Perth Mint holds the record for producing the largest gold coin ever minted. Their Australian Kangaroo One Tonne Gold Coin was unveiled in 2011 and, as the name suggests, weighs a whopping 1000 kilograms. The 99.99% pure gold coin is massive, with a diameter of 80 centimetres and a thickness of 12 centimetres. A bounding red kangaroo adorns one side of the coin, a true Australian icon, and the other side holds a portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Its face value alone is $1 million in Australian currency, and its sheer renown as the world's biggest coin sets its worth far above this amount. Despite its value, the monumental structure was not made for circulation but to symbolise Australian pride and showcase the country's rich gold reserves. The Perth Mint's world's biggest gold coin solidifies Australia's position as one of the leading global producers of gold and has made them the talk of gold investors for years to come.
Weight: 1,000 kg or 1 tonne
2. The Canadian Big Maple Leaf
Canada is home to the Canadian Big Maple Leaf. Produced by the Royal Canadian Mint (RCM) as a set of six, this 100-kilogram coin is celebrated for its purity and intricate design. It was unveiled in 2007 and was the largest coin of its kind at the time, measuring 50 centimetres in diameter and 2.8 centimetres in thickness.
When it was first unveiled in 2007, the massive coin entered the Guinness World Records for being the world's largest gold coin, and also for its unmatched 99.999 per cent gold purity.
The Canadian Big Maple Leaf gets its name from an iconic maple leaf motif stylised by Stan Witten, an artist and senior engraver for RCM. The reverse side of the coin depicts Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a staple in Canadian coinage since 2003. One of the biggest gold coins ever minted, each Big Maple Leaf gold coin has a legal tender face value of $1 million Canadian dollars.
In 2017, a Big Maple Leaf duplicate was stolen from a coin cabinet in the Bode Museum in Berlin, Germany, while on loan from a private collector. Three men robbed the copy with the help of a skateboard and a wheelbarrow, purported to have been melted and sold after the heist as a result of the gold dust found on the suspects' car and seized clothing. The original coin, however, is safely stored in Ottawa, a testament to the security and responsibility of Canadian governance. This measure coincides with their dedication to caring for their treasury and safeguarding assets.
Weight: 100 kg
3. The Austrian Philharmonic 1,000 Euro Coin
Made by the Austrian Mint, the Philharmonic 1,000 Euro Coin, nicknamed “Big Phil”, is a shining example of the country's rich culture and dedicated contributions to numismatics (the study of coins and other currency units).
Unveiled in 2004, it weighs in at 31.1 kilograms, measuring 37 centimetres in diameter. This puts its mere face value as the highest of any legal tender gold coin, a true symbol of its prestige.
A total of 15 these Austrian Philharmonic 1,000 Euro large gold coins were produced. Due to their size, these massive coins required computer technology to be produced. The mint's normal polishing machines could not be used either and these pure gold coins had to be hand polished under the guidance of Chief Engraver Mr. Thomas Pesendorfer.
One side of the coin features designs of various instruments stemming from the renowned Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. These instruments range from the Vienna horn to the harp, cello, and bassoon, paying homage to Austria's musical roots and significant contributions to classical music. The reverse side of the coin depicts the Great Organ of the Golden Hall, found within Vienna's Musikverein, their famed concert hall. The Philharmonic 1,000 Euro Coin shows Austria's dedication to preserving its cultural heritage and honing artistic excellence.
Interestingly, in 2014, this coin made a trip to Singapore for the Singapore International Coin Fair. On loan from Austria for three days, it was featured among other precious metal coins, a testament to the assured security and care Singapore offers as a nation. Investors here will find the same dedication and devotion shown in services for safeguarding their valued possessions.
Weight: 31.1 kg
4. Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Coin
The largest coin ever produced by The Royal Mint, Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee gold coin, has a diameter of 220 centimetres.
The 15-kilogram gold coin took approximately 400 hours to be made and was designed by esteemed artist John Bergdahl. His design features the crowned monarch swathed in roses, daffodils, shamrocks, and thistles, and its reverse depicts the Queen on horseback. This design was approved by the Queen herself for her platinum jubilee, marking her 70-year reign.
No corners were cut when making this coin. Its designs were engraved and lasered with state-of-the-art technology onto a solid gold ingot itself. A UK collector privately commissioned it, serving as a tribute to the country’s longest reigning monarch, with details featuring the Queen’s ascension to the throne in 1953 through the St. Edward’s crown she wore during her coronation. This gold coin is truly a marvel, capturing both the past and present of Queen Elizabeth II’s powerful reign.
Weight: 15 kg
5. The Queen’s Beasts Coin
The Royal Mint strikes again with a masterpiece known as The Queen’s Beasts, a 20-centimetre-wide 10kg beauty. This pure gold coin illustrates ten beasts from statues displayed on the Queen’s route to her coronation in 1953. Modern technology was used for engraving designs carefully cut into the coin. Then, a master toolmaker hand-worked the gold coin, perfecting it by removing any marks made during the cutting process. The coin was then polished for four days and laser-frosted to texture the surface.
The gold coin is a conclusion to the Royal Mint’s Queen’s Beasts collection, a series that depicted all ten beast statues that lined Westminster Abbey at the Queen’s coronation. The collection includes a lion of England, a white lion, a gryphon, a dragon, a falcon, a greyhound, a bull, a yale, a unicorn, and a horse. This final art piece depicts them all in one single minted coin, a fitting conclusion to this historic collection.
Weight: 10 kg
Conclusion
Gold coins have remained a mainstay as indicators of prestige and culture in many countries, and the large, minted coins mentioned epitomise this sentiment. Assets this priceless should be stored in a place equally as refined. Singapore is the perfect hub for storing and managing financial assets, and we at The Reserve uphold its perfection in our own services.
The Reserve is built to house precious metals and other assets as a leading gold and silver vault in Singapore, having care and quality in mind. We know how precious your assets are, and we offer services that aid you in effectively securing them.