Largest coin To most people coins are as simple as the pocket change, but to a collector there are certain coins that are so big and expensive that they can almost boggle the mind.
Among such a collection of coins there is the 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo minted in the Perth Mint in the year 2012 which is one kg gold of 99.99% prospect and weighs 1012 kg.
Although this particular coin has a face value of assessed to be one million Australian dollars, this says little about its cost due to the abundance of gold that makes up this piece.
The Largest Coin in the World
Measuring 80 cm in diameter and 13 cm thick, the 1-ton gold Australian Kangaroo coin is the largest coin in circulation.The coin formed part of the Kangaroo Gold Bullion series by the Perth Mint released to demonstrate the mint’s capacity.
As a piece of currency, it really can not be used as money, but as an artistic sculpture, which is why this huge coin has now become famous among collectors.
This coin was made in order to advertise Australia’s gold and to show off the capabilities of the mint. In its design it depicts a great kangaroo which is an emblem of Australia therefore makes this a culturally valuable artwork too.
Big Maple Leaf – A Canadian Giant
Besides the 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo there is another giant coin – the Big Maple Leaf struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007. This particular coin is also manufactured with 0.99999% pure gold, it measures 100 kilograms and has a face value of CAD one million dollars. As much as it appears to be mere leaves, the Big Maple Leaf is valuable many times over because of gold.
Remarkably, one of these Big Maple Leaf coins was recently stolen from the museum in Berlin in 2017 and became a world-wide sensation. It is supposedly that the coin was melted with the purpose of recycling the gold it contained, a situation which would explain a valuable loss in terms of both ethnography and money.
Other Noteworthy Giant Coins
There are other impressive giant coins from around the world among them is the 15-kilogram Platinum Jubilee Coin which is made by the Royal Mint to mark the 70 year anniversary of the reign of the Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II. There is also the Chinese Giant Panda Gold Coin,which has a number of 10 kilograms and was produced in the year 1991. Although it is not an Australian or Canadian giant pieces, both these coins are tremendously valuable and collectible.
Table of the Largest Coins
| Coin Name | Country | Weight | Diameter | Face Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo | Australia | 1,012 kg | 80 cm | AUD $1 million |
| Big Maple Leaf | Canada | 100 kg | 50 cm | CAD $1 million |
| Giant Panda Gold Coin | China | 10 kg | – | 500 Yuan |
| Platinum Jubilee Coin | United Kingdom | 15 kg | – | £15,000 |
Both 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo and the Big Maple Leaf are perhaps the best examples of numismatic art. They are not mere coins but valuable instruments because the face value contains gold and they are very scarce.
Nowadays, there are many discoveries in the sphere of numismatics, and that is why people all over the world consider some coins to be true miracles, and these giant gold coins can be mentioned as an example. The 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo and the Big Maple Leaf are well remembered not just because of its huge sizes, but also its quality and story behind. Regardless of their purpose in showcasing a country’s ability to mint or to mark cultural events, these coins form parts of some of the most important and valuable tools worth well over millions.
FAQs
Q. The Big Maple Leaf coin is missing says the Central Bank of the Republic of Santiago.
A. The Big Maple Leaf coins are interesting and one of them was recently stolen from a museum in Berlin in last year 2017. The ‘missing’ metal is believed to have been in a melted state for gold content.
Q. Are these large coins legal tender?
A.Indeed, despite these coins’s physical dimensions and worth, they are both official currencies of tender, featuring the face value of AUD $1 million and CAD $1 million, respectively.
Q. Are these forms of these big coins available?
A. Of course these coins are technically for sale, but the prices are so staggeringly high that they are more along the lines of a novelty or an investment. They can be used and viewed only at museums or during special exhibitions.
Q. Why is that these coins price significantly differ from their face value?
A. Their main value is in the metal, ounce and carat, and as unique artistic values that are created from the complex process of building them. The 1 Tonne Australian Kangaroo is 1 Tonne actual gold and in itself is worth a lot more than its face value.