Wonders of Australia: The Outback, 1 oz Gold, 2026, Opal Proof

Wonders of Australia: The Outback is an exceptional gold collector coin with an opal insert, struck from 1 oz of 9999 fine gold and issued in 2026 by The Perth Mint. The coin belongs to the prestigious “Wonders of Australia” series, celebrating the extraordinary landscapes, wildlife and natural heritage of the Australian continent.

The Australian outback is a region of monumental scale and rugged beauty, spanning deserts, canyons, rainforests and coastlines. It is also one of the world’s most unique ecosystems, home to hundreds of thousands of endemic species. The coin captures this diversity by presenting a rich array of iconic animals and natural symbols that together tell the story of Australia’s wild heart.

The central feature of the design is a circular insert of natural opal, Australia’s national gemstone. Opal has held a special place in Indigenous culture for centuries and was referred to in Dreamtime beliefs as the “fire of the desert”. Today, Australia accounts for the majority of global opal production, prized for its distinctive play of colour.

Struck in Proof finish, the coin has a face value of 100 Australian dollars, a diameter of 32.6 mm, and a weight of 31.107 g. The combination of classic Proof finish with an opal element gives the coin an unmistakably luxurious character. The mintage is strictly limited to just 200 pieces, making it one of The Perth Mint’s most exclusive collector issues.

Obverse features the official effigy of King Charles III by Dan Thorne, together with the issuing country, face value and standard inscriptions, rendered in an elegant, classical style.

Reverse, designed by Jennifer McKenna, presents an elaborate composition of Australian fauna and landscape, including a dingo, python, bilby, emu, wallaby and other iconic species arranged around the opal insert. The design also incorporates The Perth Mint P mintmark, the weight, the gold purity and the year of issue 2026.